In the midst of the hectic chaos I call "life" I had a mini epiphany last night that shocked me: Its already the end of April and May is around the corner, meaning->

1. Its almost Mother's Day! (Sunday May 9th)
2. Wedding season is in full throttle and
3. Summer is here! Beach weather!

I honestly feel like Easter weekend was just a few days ago, not weeks. Time just passes by too quickly!

After my realization I went into a small frenzy to find the perfect gift for my mom. She can be picky and already has most of everything she wants. Plus at my age flowers don't exactly suffice unless I get those huge $85-$100+ bouquets. I love my mom but I'm strapped for cash!

She's a huge jewelry fanatic- she's the source of my fashion sense and love of jewelry, well some of it at least. So in honor of our shared love of jewelry I'm going to get her a cubic zirconia ring, once I can decide which one. She doesn't come online often so I'm not worried about divulging too much information. I'm going to pick between these three:

                 

These cubic zirconia (or CZ) rings are fabulous (I'm tempted to get one for myself too!) and not expensive at all. They'll last her (and me) years! Beats buying flowers or chocolates that last a week, maybe. Gotta' love cubic zirconia, you get the look and shine of a diamond for less than half the price!

While on the topic, does everyone else know what they are doing or getting for Mom? If you're still looking, maybe this collection of CZ jewelry will help get the gift juices flowing. The jewelry is by Zulu Moon and they have an online coupon till May 1st (listed below)! I'll be taking full advantage of that! With their huge selection, you'll find plenty of things to Mom's liking.

We're back and with more trendy finds! Thought we forgot about our fabulous readers? Last time we covered finding the latest trends and left off with the nude toned heels. Today we'll finish the list and show you where you can find all of those summer trends for great prices!

4. Rompers and jumpsuits. All you Budgetistas out there already know that Target is a one-stop shop with some amazing pieces and now, more designers than ever. Rompers can be difficult to find at times but Target has a sizable collection. Here's my favorite:

Turquoise is a great summer color and looks fantastic against any skin tone. Plus, this romper has a nice floral embellishment at the top.

5. Sheer. Overstock.com has a great selection of blouses and we found plenty of sheer ones to share, particularly ruffled with sheer. Alas, the one I wanted to share with you was sold out. I liked it so much that I'm sharing it anyways! You can backorder it here and when Overstock restocks, they'll let you know! You can definitely tell that coral is in style. Otherwise, this trio of ruffle sheer shirts is a great second choice especially with the colored tips on the ruffles. For less than $30, its a steal.

6. "Spicy" Leggings. That means not no black, gray or even denim leggings but leggings with bold prints and colorful designs. Now, some "spicy" leggings out there will run you $200 each (yes, $200 for leggings- and I found it hard to spend $20) but the first pair from Pac Sun is only $10, a nice markdown from the original price of $50. It comes in purple and pink. For those who want something a bit tamer - try this pair of zebra leggings.

   

7. Boyfriend Blazer. Now the blazer prices ran a bit high, if you can, try sneaking one from the boyfriend's closet! Kidding, seriously. I did find one for $20 from JCPenny, featured first, but this one from Nordstorms, with the cinched sleeves made my day. It comes in black and the cream seen below but is a bit pricer at around $50.

      

 8. Fringed Bag. You have the bag from the original post last week and then you have these fabulous bags. The first one adds its own take on fringe - it's by Jessica McClintock so it's expected but maybe not for $30! The clutch is made with satin and the fringe is in metal but it has a very sophisticated evening look. I agree, $30 isn't the best bargain price for a clutch but what about $40 for a white fringe bag? This Marc Eko hobo fringe bag is available in black and white on Amazon.com. I personally am not the biggest fan of fringe but this bag makes me melt!

     

 

9. Military. Like we discussed in the earlier post, military influence doesn't have to mean the big buttons and a rough & tough look- it can be more subtle. Like a military green color and few brass studs found in this Volcom tank on 6pm.com.

10. Bold Accessories. I feel like the bold accessories deserve their own post. There are so many different things to chose from to accent your look, you can't fit it all into one short mention so look out for a post on Summer 2010 Accessories soon!

Just in: submit a picture and/or story of your charm bracelet to Zulu Moon's facebook page for a chance to win weekly prizes! Zulu Moon is one of the largest sterling silver jewely retailers online.

EDIT: ZuluMoon is also offering a 20% off Mother's Day coupon for their Facebook fans! Coupon expires May 1st.

1 & 2. Prints & Vibrant Colors: Trend #2 goes hand in hand with most of the other trends for this season, particularly our prints. Last post, we featured a pretty American Eagle printed summer dress in a vibrant orange and the post before there was a cute Old Navy white floral. Here we have some more:

The Old Navy dress from 2 posts ago and two looks from Kohls. Dress 1, a fun scroll kimono dress and Dress 2, a floral sleeveless.    

        

This top from Target features peacock esk design and colors. Fun and very pretty~ 

         

3. Nude Heels: With heels, there is only so much you can reduce your price range before you get to the very quality shoes that you'll only be able to wear a handful of times before they break.

Our suggestions: 

This absolutely perfect pair of peep toe heels is by designer Christian Siriano (remember him for Project Runway?). He has a line of shoes for Payless and these are both beautiful and cost effective! Both nude and metallic, they combine the latest trends of the season into one very fierce shoe.

                  

If you're going for a more ethereal and classic look, try these sequined pumps from DSW. By Caparros these satin shoes are a bit pricer but look lovely.

Its mid-April and summer is just around the corner! For the glorious summer weather, dress to impress with these latest trends:

1. Prints. It'll be anything from floral to tribal (African tribal to be exact) or to a lesser degree, animal. These prints are bound to plaster your pants, your lovely summer dress or your summer blouses. American Eagle has a great piece with this summer pattern in orange (and purple).

2. Vibrant Colors. Turquoise has always been a great summer-ish color. Along with the turquoise blues, there'll be a lot of more neutral colors to pick from including oranges, yellows and most popular – coral.

3. Nude Heels. If you've checked any red carpet styles recently, you surely will have noticed all the nude heels floating around. Nude heels and their opposite, metallic heels are the newest in shoe fashion this summer. For a great look, pair nude heels with your favorite printed dress.

4. Rompers and Jumpsuits. 'nough said. Jumpsuits might be a harder trend to pull off if you aren't a supermodel but for those willing, its worth a try. Rompers are an easier trend to follow and can look great in the summer, especially paired with a statement necklace.

5. Sheer. Be on the look out for a lot of sheer materials and tops for the summer. For a more elegant and wearable look, try sheer straps or a light chiffon top, they're all the rage this summer.

6. Leggings-spiced up. Yes, they've been in fashion for a while but not like this! Printed leggings, the denim leggings or those other wild designs will be hit in summer 2010.

7. Boyfriend Blazer. The boyfriend shirt and jeans are a trend of the past with the boyfriend blazer making the summer top 10. Try oversized and rolled up sleeves to perfect this look.

8. Fringe. The fringe, tassels and other accents will be reserved primarily for your handbags in the summer, giving them a more interesting hobo/western look. They'll look great with a causal summer dress or denim. Try this fringed bag from OverStock.

9. Military Influence. You may be thinking “wasn't this a trend last season?” The military inspired look is here to stay (for a while at least) though the designs are not as obvious. Instead, the influence is centered in the material, color and buttons. Try colors like khaki, navy, olive or army green.

10. Bold Accessories. Last but certainly not least, our accessories. Be they statement necklaces, statement shoes or other bold add on, whichever accessory you choose, have it be bright.

Look for an update soon on where to get these trends for cheap!

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In our books, Jessica Alba just can't go wrong with her impeccable sense of style and fashion. Here she is at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival during late March in California. Shes wearing a modern abstract printed mini by Proenza Schouler with a pair of almost matching gray and neon wedges and chunky bracelets. 

Make her look your own with a fabulous printed mini and wedges for the perfect summer evening look:

Calvin Klein printed mini in red and black

Pair the printed CK dress with these daring wedges for an evening out on the town

Its the middle of Prom Season! Girls, are you ready? The guys have it easy, they just have to pay for the prom tickets, dinner and rent a tux. No big deal. How hard can it be to rent a tux anyways...

The Dress:

If you haven't found that ideal dress yet check out our blog post from February. Maybe you'll find something you didn't notice earlier. This is my personal favorite – its to die for in purple and looks expensive, though it only costs $25.

The Shoes:

These shoes from Overstock have the look for less at under $40! You'll be able to find a ton of great buys there.

This beautiful cloth shoe has a pleated color ribbon that flows over a simple yet elegant black bow. I promise, this picture doesn't do the shoe any justice:
  

These formal pumps are gorgeous and perfect for prom! With 4 or 5 different colors they'll match almost any dress. The uppers are covered in rhinestones, making them glamorous and a steal!

Now these Albert Nipon pumps are stylish but probably not the best compliment to your prom dress. I just added them because they're pretty and a great deal (only $20!).

 

The Jewelry

This season if you check out the celebs you'll be seeing a lot of hoop earrings. And anyone been following Kristen Stewart's style? Her red carpet appearances have all been in a strapless dress without a necklace. It makes her - and her dress pop even more.

Keep your neckline empty or simple, instead wear a pair of "wow" earrings for prom - like chandelier earrings. For prom, you want the attention to center first on your dress and THEN on your jewelry. Try Zulumoon.com, they have some great earrings (and a huge sale).

I went a bit overboard with the earrings but what can I say? I love to look. The first 3 earrings are made with Marcasite (a type of gem/crystal) set in sterling silver and each is less than $30! The next 3 are made with Cubic Zirconia, also set in sterling silver.

If you click on these earrings, it will take you to their product page.
                         

 

The End

Hope that helps! You've got plenty to think about when it comes to prom, this should make all that accessorizing a bit simpler.