These days, all it takes to show someone you are a “friend” is the click of the “accept” button, but this season I am all about the throw back to the ‘80’s…old-school style display of friendship…the bracelet.

Colorful yarn bracelets, bedazzled with all the loveliest bling are everywhere. And although they may not be as meaningful as the ones you made with your bestie in 3rd grade, they will go a long way in spicing up your average outfit. High end, bling-friendly friendship bracelets have been all the rage ever since the real life besties from Frieda and Nellie designed embellished yarn bracelets.

They run for upwards of $150, but never fear, the concept has caught on and some of your favorite, more reasonable retailers like The Limited and ASOS have the cutest, festive colored bracelets that are perfect for stacking, combining and giving.

This one from Free People does the thinking for you, combining several bracelets together to give you the stacked look all-in-one. Delia’s has them in every color scheme (for $12.50!!), making them the perfect addition to your weekend look of a chunky sweater and jeans. They can even be used to give an eclectic feel to a dressier outfit!

So have fun and brighten up your winter with these whimsical and colorful arm candy!

Bright clothes? Check. A bright, daring lip for your next party or outing? Go for it. But now, stars and those alike are lovin’ and doing bright shoes.

Mandy Moore and Brooklyn Decker decided to take a break from the neutral and dark palette of shoes were used to seeing and took a turn for color—bright color!

Both were out in LA recently with starburst colored shoes. On top, the girls were nothing short of sweet and romantic, with their spin on the LBD. Their shoes, however, were off, way off…but in a good way!

Hair, makeup and everything else was kept pretty simple and that’s the key here…let the bright shoes be the focus. And with awards season upon us, I’m sure we’ll see this trend keep popping up…even if it’s just a peek of color under a gown.

So for all of us non-celebs, why not try this daring, simple-to-do trend?  All you need is your brightest, prettiest shoe and one of the LBD’s or LWD’s that’s been collecting dust in your closet! And in case you’re short on bright shoes…here are a few options for under $100!

More Madden-Girl…

So I was neither here nor there about the red carpet tonight…no one looked a hot mess and no one totally blew me away.  But here are my picks for best dressed–and this means overall best–I’m taking into account the hair, make-up, accessories, shoes, etc…

Emma Stone in Lanvin…

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang (caliente!)…

Nicole Richie in Julien McDonald (but I would have kept the belt as seen on the runway)…

Julianna Margulies in Naeem Khan

(my FAVE–dying over the earring and gown color combo–stunning!)…

Angelina Joie in Atelier Versace…

and Jessica Biel in Elie Saab.

And in case you didn’t notice- I’m all over this long-sleeved gown thing happening…it’s so elegant and old Hollywood (and perfect when your arms aren’t in shape like mine!). So who were your favorites? And are you excited for this red carpet season or did this make you wary of red carpets to come?  Oh bring on the award season fun!

UPDATE: Click here to see the outfit breakdown day by day and the links to all “8 winter buys” have been updated below!

The best part of my job is showing women how to make the most of the clothes they already own by shopping smart and being selective about the new things they buy.

It’s always a challenge to try and build an entire wardrobe that’s chic and wearable and affordable…and that’s way I love it when Nate asks me to do it for under $200 each season!

Please tune in this Friday to find out where to get my “8 must-buy winter items” (pictured left) and to learn how to remix them with simple basics to create an entire month’s worth of outfits…trust me, it’ll make you look at you closet in a totally new light!

1. Sweater, Old Navy

2. Plaid Shirt, JCPenney

3. Denim Shirt, Old Navy

4. Statement Necklace, Forever 21

5. Skinny Cords, Gap

6. Blue Blazer, H&M

7. Zig Zag Everly Dress, Tobi.com

8. Lace Up Ankle Boot, Target.com

Well, not really…we still have a while but, it is never too soon to start shopping for the perfect Summer sunnies. I mean the sun does comes out all year long, right?

For me, sunglasses are the new handbags, arm candy gone eye candy. I have been drooling over Tom Ford’s amazing over-sized open side sunglasses for a while but luckily for my bank account, they looked horrendous on me. Never fear, my search for the perfect and reasonably priced designer shades to invest in has come to an end.

These cat-eye shades from Marc by Marc Jacobs are fab and while $98 does not make them cheap per se, they’re worth the investment if you’re looking for designer shades! His entire line of sunglasses are priced competitibely and most importantly, they’re very very cute! Thank you, Mr Jacobs!!

Now if you are looking for a little more of a budget friendly pair (under $50!)that will withstand the abuse of your daily routine, check out this pair from Anthropologie. They are right on trend with the thick, tortoise shell rim and they’re oh-so-retro round frames.

But my favorite spot for cheap shades that last, Forever 21. I buy multiples of whatever pair I like and keep one in the car, one in my bag and one as a back up. They usually cost less than five bucks and have held up better than some of my very pricey pairs!

And since this season is all about eyewear, there are two new (to me at least) lines making big waves…Karen Walker and TOMS Eyewear…

I just picked up this pair from KW and I’m completely obsessed…the two tone feels so fresh and I love the arrow logo. Definitely a statement-sunglasses, but perfect for those days when I don’t want to look like everyone else in an aviator!

So what new shapes will you be trying out this Spring?

Color blocked tops and sweaters have been spotted all over this Fall/Winter, but my favorite version of the color-happy trend is the color blocked accessory. Shoes, belts and handbags are the best way to subtly incorporate variety without a full on commitment to brights!

On a recent trip to the Celine store in Dubai, I noticed their adorable color blocked clutches (pictured above) in all different colors…they even had neon color blocked totes that will for sure be going to my fashion wish list this Spring! They’re way out of my pricerange but you know if Celine is doing it, it’s gotta be good! And in case these don’t show up at LastCall, we found a few more wallet-friendly alternatives that will help you get the look for much less!

This clutch from DSW is a very stylish substitute for the Celine clutch above…or these amazing shoes from Piperlime would be perfect with a basic, solid colored dress. And one of my faves is this purse from Nine West! The black and white leather is sort of a blank slate, making it work with almost anything. It also comes in tan/white which would be an awesome combo for Spring!

Whether you are looking for a little mid-winter outfit boost or a preliminary Spring investment, you can’t go wrong with a little color blocking!

More Asos…

There’s a few things I absolutely LOVE about traveling…seeing new places, meeting new people, eating new foods and sharing all of that with my wonderful travel partner-in-crime, my hubby! But one of the things I hate is being away from all of my stuff. I have a horrible problem of over-packing in both the beauty and fashion departments so on this trip, I decided to pay particular attention to the items that kept making repeat appearances throughout my 12 day journey. Here are my fashion/accessory all-stars that I could not have made it without…

J.Crew Keeper Chambray Shirt, $78

Rebecca Minkoff Mini-Mac, $195

Joe’s Jeans (part of The 55 Colors Collection), $158

Mossimo Supply & Co. Ankle Boots, $24.99

YSL Arty Ring, $250

Forever 21 Scarf, $14.80

J.Crew Lula Leopard Flats, $89.99

There’s a few things I absolutely LOVE about traveling…seeing new places, meeting new people, eating new foods and sharing all of that with my wonderful travel partner-in-crime, my hubby! But one of the things I hate is being away from all of my stuff.  I have a horrible problem of over-packing in both the beauty and fashion departments so on this trip, I decided to pay particular attention to the items that kept making repeat appearances throughout my 12 day journey. Here are my travel beauty all-stars that I could not have made it without…

John Frieda Volume Refresher, $6.49

ProActiv Makeup Cleansing Wipes, $16.75

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (in Nude), $42

NARS Laguna Bronzer, $33

Becca Butter Balm SPF 20, $20

I didn’t want y’all to think I had gone away for good! I’m just on a much needed vacation in Dubai celebrating what is so far an incredible year!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday and that your 2012 is off to an amazing start! Dubai is beautiful and I can’t believe my time here is so close to ending…the only downside, the internet is terribly slow!

But no need to worry, we’ll be back to our regular posting schedule this weekend! Happy New Year!

XOXO,

Lilliana