Contributing Editor Trisha Okubo also writes at Omiru: Style for All.

What's happening in fashion this week?

Fashiontribes creates an urbane tomboy outfit.

Couture in the City reports Giant Jewelry as a big (no pun intended) runway trend.

Second City Style has shorts to flatter every figure.

Fabsugar gushes over iGoogle's designer homepages.

Papierblog adds a couple of names to Success Magazine's Greatest Fashion Entrepreneur list.

Things started off innocently enough. The occasional trip through the store; a behomoth of a warehouse, gripping tightly to my mother's arm as she flipped oversized tags to reveal a price of $8.99 for four pillows. I don't recall the first purchases but I do recall the swedish meatballs and how after each walk through my brother and I would be rewarded with a cinnamon roll.

This spring, when American fashion designers unveiled their Fall 2008 collections, the mood was conservative and somber. The US is on the brink of a recession, embroiled in an unpopular and seemingly unending war; the price of gas and bread and living is rising daily. The fashion industry felt all of this, not with cuts to the prices of couture pieces, but with a return to conservative, minimalist silhouettes, like the sheath dress for day and evening.

Almost exactly one year ago, my husband and I stuck a FOR SALE sign in the yard of our starter home and made an offer on our current home. Okay, we actually did it the other way around (we signed a contract on this house and then prayed we would sell the other house quickly, which we did, fortunately) but you get the idea. We had big plans for this new house, because as I told my next door neighbor, this is the Last House. The only place I'm going from here is the mortuary, or possibly the retirement home.

Contributing Editor Trisha Okubo also writes at Omiru: Style for All.

What's happening in fashion this week?

Fashiontribes is inspired by PONO, a chic accessory line that epitomizes the Aloha spirit.

Couture in the City is having Fun in the Sun with summer accessories.

Second City Style spots celebrity fashion trend: high waisted pants.

Fabsugar issues a Trend Alert for Fresh Flowers.

Clothes-Pin introduces us to organic, eco-friendly line The Pursuit of Harmony.

Papierblog dishes about Forbes' ranking of the highest paid models. Topping the list? Gisele, of course.

Summer is right around the corner, so it's time to lighten up and look for accessories that will work with your summer wardrobe. May I suggest a white handbag?

It's the perfect compliment to any summer outfit.

White is clean and light and simple; a white bag is versatile, because it can go with everything. A white bag will always appear light and sleek, even when you have it loaded with everything you own. Or am I the only one who does that?