Monday was the opening day of the new Target in our town. There was a “soft” opening over the weekend, but Monday was the official day, and so on my round of chores to pick up stuff for dinner, and pet food at the pet food store, I decided to swing in and check it out. I’ve been in a spring remodel mood- which involves cleaning out old drawers, the oven, and the pantry and moving furniture from one room to another. I needed an upgrade on the laundry room hamper.
It’s been a few years since I've been in Target. The closest one was about a 30 minute drive, and with Amazon being so easy, and then COVID, it just hadn’t really crossed my radar. This is a brand new store, so I was optimistic in the way I used to be when I walked through the red doors. Sometimes I’d find a pair of heels that would look great with that dress I bought at Anthro. There was the cute table lamp, towels, and flower duvet cover the girls liked as they were growing up.
Target replaced the last operating Kmart in California- which closed in 2019. When my daughter was born in 1993, Kmart was our go-to. We lived/worked on ranches- my husband at a place for troubled kids and me with horses. So, basically we had no money. I remember P’s dad sending us a check for $100 to get us through the month. We lived in a single wide trailer on the horse farm. P grew his hair long and planted morning glories along the fence line. Kmart supplied us with diapers and underwear. I was psyched when Martha Stewart’s east coast patrician aesthetic came to the store. Blue ticking stripes! 100% cotton sheets!
Kmart went slowly downhill as our income went the other way. P went into the insurance business, and there were vacations, and cuter rentals, and another baby, and then our first house. The sofa someone gave us for free was replaced by a Pottery Barn model. That first Christmas, I cut boughs from the cedars and wrapped the bannister with them and tiny white lights. I covered the linoleum in seagrass from Cost Plus- that was a big expense.
Insurance was doing well. He’d started his own agency with a partner. We took the kids to Mexico. We started drinking nice wine. P decided it was time to remodel the house. In 2004 he said:
“Money is cheap.” meaning that we could borrow against the increasing valuation of our house to make it our forever home. I designed the new kitchen, even as I questioned whether we could really afford it. The best windows, the most beautiful finishes. No more Kmart. We were shopping for soapstone- the ultimate Martha kitchen counter.
In 2005, once we had our beautiful kitchen, and new bathrooms, and gorgeous new hardwood floors, my husband left me on my 40th birthday. It was brutal, and I finally put an end to it in 2006. Since I couldn’t afford the huge balloon mortgage payment, I had to leave our beautiful home, with its soapstone counters.
Alimony and my flailing business allowed me to rent a tiny cabin in the forest. It had old wood floors and a woodstove. I brought in a fallen branch to decorate the living room, and friends offered furniture. The kids each had a room. In this place I began to rebuild my life, my career, and my financial independence. Kmart still provided the occasional kitchen gadget.
G and I went skiing today and I told him about my visit to the new Target. He asked how it was (literally its been the talk of the town) and I told him that what I reflected upon more than anything, was how just how far we have come, and how lucky we are, and how quickly we have assumed a new financial position. We bought a very nice new organic mattress and a beautiful frame for it last year. We now shop at places like Crate and Barrel. We’re planning a kitchen remodel for later this summer. ’m hoping for some deals at Target to offset those soapstone counters I really, really want.
— Cristine
It’s been a few years since I've been in Target. The closest one was about a 30 minute drive, and with Amazon being so easy, and then COVID, it just hadn’t really crossed my radar. This is a brand new store, so I was optimistic in the way I used to be when I walked through the red doors. Sometimes I’d find a pair of heels that would look great with that dress I bought at Anthro. There was the cute table lamp, towels, and flower duvet cover the girls liked as they were growing up.
Target replaced the last operating Kmart in California- which closed in 2019. When my daughter was born in 1993, Kmart was our go-to. We lived/worked on ranches- my husband at a place for troubled kids and me with horses. So, basically we had no money. I remember P’s dad sending us a check for $100 to get us through the month. We lived in a single wide trailer on the horse farm. P grew his hair long and planted morning glories along the fence line. Kmart supplied us with diapers and underwear. I was psyched when Martha Stewart’s east coast patrician aesthetic came to the store. Blue ticking stripes! 100% cotton sheets!
Kmart went slowly downhill as our income went the other way. P went into the insurance business, and there were vacations, and cuter rentals, and another baby, and then our first house. The sofa someone gave us for free was replaced by a Pottery Barn model. That first Christmas, I cut boughs from the cedars and wrapped the bannister with them and tiny white lights. I covered the linoleum in seagrass from Cost Plus- that was a big expense.
Insurance was doing well. He’d started his own agency with a partner. We took the kids to Mexico. We started drinking nice wine. P decided it was time to remodel the house. In 2004 he said:
“Money is cheap.” meaning that we could borrow against the increasing valuation of our house to make it our forever home. I designed the new kitchen, even as I questioned whether we could really afford it. The best windows, the most beautiful finishes. No more Kmart. We were shopping for soapstone- the ultimate Martha kitchen counter.
In 2005, once we had our beautiful kitchen, and new bathrooms, and gorgeous new hardwood floors, my husband left me on my 40th birthday. It was brutal, and I finally put an end to it in 2006. Since I couldn’t afford the huge balloon mortgage payment, I had to leave our beautiful home, with its soapstone counters.
Alimony and my flailing business allowed me to rent a tiny cabin in the forest. It had old wood floors and a woodstove. I brought in a fallen branch to decorate the living room, and friends offered furniture. The kids each had a room. In this place I began to rebuild my life, my career, and my financial independence. Kmart still provided the occasional kitchen gadget.
G and I went skiing today and I told him about my visit to the new Target. He asked how it was (literally its been the talk of the town) and I told him that what I reflected upon more than anything, was how just how far we have come, and how lucky we are, and how quickly we have assumed a new financial position. We bought a very nice new organic mattress and a beautiful frame for it last year. We now shop at places like Crate and Barrel. We’re planning a kitchen remodel for later this summer. ’m hoping for some deals at Target to offset those soapstone counters I really, really want.
— Cristine
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