Target Wonderland, A Magical Place for Kids From 2 to 92 That Will Hit Lots of Soft Spots

The Merry-o-Matic at Target Wonderland is much ado to accomplish a simple task. Delightful! Photos courtesy of BFA.

HEADS UP: We know, it seems like only six months ago that ‘twas the season to be jolly. How is it that every year you have no idea what in the world to get those on your list?! Never fear, the elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are, of course, on the case. Up until 24 Dec., we will introduce at least one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). Also look for at least one article dedicated to stocking stuffers and at least one highlighting themed gifts. Could be theater. Or food&drink. Fashion, maybe? You’ll just have to stay tuned and read all about it. Happy, responsible shopping!

NO doubt, Rube Goldberg would be proud, for Merry-o-Matic, is exquisitely, deliciously complicated. Elsewhere, at six and a half feet wide by five feet tall, the big-screen, Etch A Sketch, is certain to draw a crowd in more ways than one.

What is Yours Truly going on about? Target Wonderland!, conceived to imagine everything (or almost) magical. Named for the famous discounter, the 16,000 square foot space is billed as a part-retail, part-playground. A space where kids and the kid in all of us can play to our heart’s content. And buy a few things, too, if the (holiday) spirit hits us.

Indeed, Target Wonderland cleverly mashes up the physical and digital retail experience to reimagine holiday shopping for guests.

Target Wonderland will be open daily through 22 Dec.

It is open daily (Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) until 22 Dec. in New York City’s Meatpacking District at 70 10th Avenue and West 15th Street,

Upon entering Target Wonderland, guests aka potential shoppers receive a custom lanyard and digital Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) key, which is the very technology used in Target stores.

If a doll version of a Disney princess is the object of a shopper’s desire, for instance, the key can be used to scan a mini bullseye tag, adding the doll to a custom digital shopping list to be be purchased when s/he is ready to leave Target Wonderland.

In the spirit of customer service, Target Wonderland also has a lounge in the reception area to where one can repair if s/he or anyone in her/his party is harried upon entry or anytime during the Target Wonderland visit. Light refreshments are provided.

Disney princess dolls are one of around 15 products for sell at Target Wonderland.

Meanwhile, on the Merry-o-Matic, a ball (or whatever object will be used), in true RG fashion, will have to traverse quite an obstacle course to make its rendezvous with a meter at the end. On the way it must travel round and round on a Christmas-tree shaped structure and make contact with several frying pans among other pit stops.

How will the ball rate on the Merry Meter at the end of the Merry-o-Matic? Alas, at the grand opening part of Target Wonderland, the meter was not operating. Still, the famed inventor, Mr. Goldberg, is probably smiling in heaven at the level of sheer difficulty dreamed up to perform a most simple task.

Other “spectacles” at Target Wonderland aside from the Merry-o-Matic and Etch A Sketch are a life-sized version of the ice palace from the 3D computer-animated musical film, “Frozen,” and a Christmas tree made out of 32 green "Incredible Hulk Hands" 3D wall nightlights and topped with a "Captain America" shield.

The giant Etch A Sketch draws photos on demand.

Yet another spectacle, at least the grand opening party of Target Wonderland, is DJ Fulano. Someone, and names won’t be revealed to protect the sight-impaired, thought the night's musical director was a 20-something girl. Instead, the disc jockey is a 12-year-old boy. He has been spinning records professionally for seven years. You do the math.

Other celebrity types at the Target Wonderland grand opening party were Bullseye, Target's bull terrier mascot and Neil Patrick Harris, the voice of Target's animated promotion, The Holiday Odyssey.

Finally, the mind cannot construct and conceive a holiday wonderland without Santa. Target hit the mark here, too – with a virtual Santa Claus station. Anyone who wants to chat with Mr. Saint Nick, pushes a button, takes a seat, then himself appears on a monitor.

The Hulk Hands Christmas Tree is an incredible sight.

Ask Santa for anything you wish, from the latest "Star Wars" gadgetry to investors for your small business to a brownstone!

A Surprising Elixir at The Shops at Target Pop-up

A coffee shop in name only at The Shops at Target pop-up space. Photos by Yours Truly.

ONE can’t exactly have a launch, premiere or debut without food and drink.

No doubt, Target knows what time it is and the time is the Coffee Shop. It was the place a couple of hours or so ago for celebrities, industry VIPs, friends and sundry others to whet their privileged whistles at the fall rendition of the retailer's The Shops at Target. Jessica Chastain (“The Help”) and Hailee Steinfeld (“True Grit”) were among those who had an opportunity to shop ahead of the hoi polloi. The latter will be given the shoppertunity online and in-store from 9 Sept. onward. (A bit more on that tomorrow).

The Sparkling Rose Sangria is an interesting hybrid.

The Coffee Shop was doing the briskest bidness of all of the pop-up shops holding it down at Highline Stages. Incidentally, Coffee Shop is a misnomer. There was nary coffee cup or scent of Kenyan organic in the air. There were cocktails, though.

One most intriguing was the Sparkling Rose Sangria. Its vitals: rose sparkling wine, white sangria, blackberries, oranges. It is absotively delicious and accessibly complex. Sparkling wine and sangria lovers have gotta get a load (or sip) of this. Here is an instance where you should try this at home. Of course, lovers will drink/sip in moderation.

Cheers. Sante. Salud.

Get Your Swagger on in a ... Swacket? Yes!

The Harputs Own wool swacket ($425.00) for women and lightweight wool swacket ($500) for women and men are designed with strategically placed fasteners that tranform them into different shapes. Photos from Harputs of San Francisco Web site.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Continuing through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s) Pt. 5:

SOME days a body just wants to mix it up.

That’s what convertible clothing is all about – one frock worn several ways. Of course it’s also about more space in the closet and more dollars in the wallet. And with the airlines charging for everything from soup to nuts, the lighter the suitcase the better.

Hence, convertible clothing. Once barely a cottage industry, it has transformed into a full-blown niche category. Leading the way, of course, are the various wrap dresses. Popular ones bear names such as American Apparel, Donna Karan, Target and Etsy. In the category, too, are pants, tops, shirts and accessories such as jewelry, cowls and scarves.

The market, though, is lacking anything approaching a glut of stylish outerwear jackets. This is good news for the West Coast label, Harputs Own. The line also includes coats, dresses, tops, pants, rompers, vests and so on.

The American Apparel cotton spandex jersey bandeau pencil dress ($41) can be worn at least a dozen different ways. Photo from American Apparel Web site.

Made from cashmere, wool, nylon and cotton, Harputs Own jackets ($375-$800), or swackets, are small wonders. Put one on and wear it open and it is an ordinary, yet stylish shawl-collared affair. One of the secrets is the placement of snap fasteners.

Grab the hem of the jacket and wrap it over the shoulders and snap. The result is a jacket with an asymmetrical cowl-neck and lapels. Put it on upside down to create a cowlneck-peekaboo/crisscross-at-the-waist effect. Yours Truly, who sports the Black Wool Swacket ($425.00, pictured above at left) can not do it proper justice in mere words. See the You Tube demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QURfFDO4Gq8.

The swackets are designed to be worn in more ways than are shown in the video. Each individual owner is encouraged to unlock the secrets to his/her jacket. The brains behind the outfits is Gus Harput, who sells his creations out of his shop, Harputs of San Francisco, located in the city by the bay.

What inspired Gus to create the line? … More shortly.

Visit http://www.harputsown.com/index.html to learn more about Harput’s Own.