Like many of you, I have one hell of a time finding jeans. It seems like it shouldn't be so difficult -- there are a million different styles, and all I need is ONE PAIR. But, I have a few, uh, let's say quirks that make shopping tough:

We have reached the last weekend of summer.  That can only mean one thing in this house.  We have reached the last minute panic as I inventory closets and drawers to see if I really do have to make that journey to the mall for the yearly Back-To-School shopping torture experience.  After two hours and 5 stores, I left the mall with a teenage son who bought a new pair of shoes, some socks and one shirt.  My tween?  He had one pair of jeans and one shirt.  That's all.So much for getting prepared ahead of time this year!

My kids have been back at school for a full week, now, but most of the country is still enjoying summer break. This is for those of you just starting to think about preparation for the back-to-school routine.

For years environmentalists have been promoting reusable shopping bags to cut down on the amount of plastic bag waste generated by grocery stores. Although I loved this idea in theory, I must confess I've been a slow adopter. I found it hard to remember to take bags to the store, and often the bags were too small. Now I've found a bag that works for me, and I'm finally developing the reusable shopping bag habit.

Last time I went shopping in San Francisco was with Elsa of The Greener Side -- and eco-fashions were pretty hard to find. That, however, was way back in February 2006 before "An Inconvenient Truth," you know, changed things.

Traditional financial lore is that teenagers remain largely impervious to changes in the economy; teens and shopping go together like, well, chocolate and peanut butter. The current economic environment (notice that I am not using the "R" word) really is dire, though, because the news is now reporting that even teenagers are spending less.

Save the world by -- shopping?

Buying local isn't just about food, even if the local 'code words' (you know, the language that suggests fresh and wholesome and all things good-for-you, ones like organic, sustainable, CSA/community-supported agriculture, locavore, green, whole food, free-range, humanely raised, flexitarian and the like) glibly fall from our lips if not as often onto our plates. But let's start there. Please know that unconventional thinking is NOT about dictating my own value judgments. It is simply to provoke conscious consideration, discussion and decisions about our individual buying decisions. Do I hope to jar our thinking a bit, to bump us out of our comfort zones, to make us challenge our own decisions? You bet.

Contributing Editor Trisha Okubo also writes at Omiru: Style for All.What's happening in fashion this week?Fashiontribes counts down the Top 10 Trends and Must Haves for Spring 2008.  Couture in the City proves that styles always come back around, showcasing hot new (old) looks.Second City Style shows you how to take floral prints from runway to reality.Fabsugar gives you a sneak peek at Vera Wang's Spring 2008 collection for Kohls.Clothes-Pin introduces you to the glamourous, retro styles of Leonard Street.Papierblog shows you How To Pronounce Designers Names.  Hint: It's Ralph Lauren (like the girls' name, not La-WREN).The Budget Fashionista reports on the Best Bronzer on a Budget.

For a girl who spends a lotta time on the internet blogging, I really don't do much online shopping. Part of it's because I live by the reduce, reuse enviro-mantra, and part of it's because I'm all about supporting the local economy -- and that means turning off the computer and hitting the farmers' market or eco-friendly shops near me.

Crafters all know about their stash.  Be it paper, fabric, yarn, felt, beads, or buttons, "stash" is a crafter's purchased supplies.  It's our personal store when we're working on a project. But stash is more because you can buy stash without a plan for using it.  Acquiring stash becomes an obsession for some, a distinct activity for others, or a competition ("She who dies with the most stash wins!" is a popular bumper sticker.) But a stash can eventually becomes a burden. 

"When gifts are given to me through my camera, I accept them graciously." --Minor White 1. SIMPLE CAMERA: