Affordable Accessories

You gotta love a girl with a name like Gwyneth. It begs to be alliterated with noble words like goddess and gorgeous and gladiator. As in, "Goddess Gwyneth looks gorgeous in her gold Giuseppe Zanotti gladiator flats."

Lately, she's looked lovely in everything she's been wearing while making the publicity rounds for her new film Ironman (usually a mini and five-inch heels). Here, the pièce de résistance is most definitely those gleaming metallic sandals. The yummy mummy, as she's known in London where she lives most of the time, keeps the rest of her outfit simple, chic and pared-down.

If the look makes you giddy, gleeful and glad, here's how to get it for less...

[1] Pink Metallic Frayed Tee at Heritage1981.com, $14.90
[2] Women's Cropped One-Button Blazer at OldNavy.com, $39.50 $18.99
[3] Limited Edition Large Tote Bag at Target.com, $39.99
[4] N.Y.L.A. Gold Hassan Sandal at Endless.com, $59.95
[5] Low Skinny 531 Black Jeans at LeviStore.com, $58.00

You know something's hot when Forever 21 comes a knock knock knockin' on (or off?) your door. And apparently, reusable shopping totes are smoking: Forever 21 seems to have copied this World Shopper Bag (a bag that we featured back in July 2007) from Target. The price difference is negligible, so I'd say go with the original. But hey, as long as you're skipping the paper and plastic, I suppose any reusable bag is better than none.

>> Left: World Shoppers Bag at Target.com, $13.99
>> Right: World Shopper Tote at Forever21.com, $10.80

Do the colorblock rock this Spring with mod fashions and bold accessories. A single standout piece is all you need to bring any drab outfit to life - but with so many affordable options, why settle for just one? Here are seven of our top picks:

[1] Nine West Colorblock Fold Over at NineWest.com, $59.00
[2] Isaac Mizrahi for Target Empire Colorblock Dress, $29.99
[3] Blake Colorblock Bag at dELiAs.com, $26.50
[4] Simply Vera Vera Wang Colorblock Pleated Top, orig. $48 sale $36
[5] Nine West "Jobilyn" gladiator sandal at NineWest.com, $79
[6] Chinese Laundry "Sinead" t-strap sandal at LorisShoes.com, $40
[7] Woven Colorblock Dress at Forever21.com, $22.80

Relief Beads is selling beautiful, handmade African bracelets to raise awareness and money for Relief International's humanitarian efforts in Darfur. The bracelets have been worn by stars such as Mandy Moore, Jessica Biel, Marcia Cross, Zac Efron, Jessica Simpson, Randy Jackson and many more. Relief Beads been available for a while now, but I just discovered them and figured, hey, it's a great cause and (this sounds so wrong but our heart is in the right place!) bead bracelets are really big for Spring.

>> To purchase Relief Beads ($8 each) visit www.reliefbeads.org.
>> To learn more about Relief International’s efforts in Darfur visit www.ri.org.

We looove whales (they're so cute!) and now, the world's largest mammal is showing its fashionable face (does a whale have a face?) on everything from T-shirts and belts to rings and pendants for Spring. These adorable sea creatures are in step (or stroke) with both the nature and nautical trends that are so popular right now. Think Green Peace feel-good friendly whales, not so much the foreboding great white whale of Moby Dick, and wear a whale to add a whimsical, lighthearted element to any look. Click the pic for product details...