5 Tie Dye Steals For Spring

Long gone are the days when tie dye only meant hippies and visions of the Grateful Dead -- now it's totally en vogue and one of this year's biggest trends. Here are five affordable finds!

1. Tie Dye Hair Ties, Etsy ($1.50 each, pictured). I buy hairbands frequently (partly because I lose them all the time), but these are so pretty, I won't misplace them! ManeMessage hand dyes these beauties that also double as bracelets. I love two-in-ones.

2. Tie Dye Sheer Jersey Scarf, American Apparel ($20). A tie dye scarf is going to be one of my essential accessories for spring. This one by American Apparel is going to get really familiar with my neck, really fast.

3. Tie Dye Lurez Footless Tight, Free People ($10, sale). Look hippie-chic in these shiny orange-y tights. Pair them with some denim cut-offs and flats for super sweet style.

4. Op Racerback Tie Dye Dress, Walmart ($12). Um, hello... Walmart? Stepping it up! They may be more known for bulk items than fashion, but this dress designed by Op is way more adorable than a 24-pack of toilet paper.

5. Shutter Back Tie Dye Top, Forever 21 ($15.80). This gray v-neck tie dye shirt features a flirty cut-out from behind. Business in the front, party in the back! Dig it.

RED Hearts: A Dancing Flower for Winter

RED Hearts are guest posts on I Heart Daily from the authors of RED: Teenage Girls in America Write On What Fires Up Their Lives Today.

Today's RED Hearts post is by Saskia Boggs, 20, reporting from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She has found a winter pick-me-up as she waits for spring:

Before my birthday package arrived this month at school (bursts of surprise are always extra-welcome in Michigan in February) my mom told me that she’d included something from my favorite kitschy little store back home. Fully expecting a cute necklace or maybe a DIY book (as moms do), I was surprised to find a plastic, solar-powered dancing flower in the box.

Yes, my mom had sent me a Two's Company Bee Happy Dancing Flower, the perfect gift for the depths of winter. These cheerful and cute little trinkets catch onto even the weakest rays of light, which make the leaves wave up and down and the flower sway from side to side. The colors are bright -- pink flower, green leaves and stem, and a choice of either a blue or pink base -- all especially great with the gray ick outside.

Seeing my dancing flower waving at me from my window when I get back from the icy trek from classes to dorm consistently raises my spirits. And the best part is, I don't have to remember to water this flower. These sun-happy blooms never die. And at just under $8, they’re definitely going to become my inexpensive-yet-thoughtful go-to gift for friends this spring -- which has to be coming soon!

RED Hearts guest poster Saskia Boggs is an author of RED: Teenage Girls in America Write On What Fires Up Their Lives Today, which is now out in paperback.

Country Chic on the Cheap

Here's what I have to say about the Vermont Country Store: Don't knock it. It all started as a mail order business in the 1940s (and I'm betting they still have a lot of the same products).

Look at all this cool stuff I found in the catalog, then get your own, uh, free subscription. It's kind of like looking through your grandma's attic, in a good way. Even better: the finds are all new.

1. Chambray Smock Apron ($22, pictured). Kind of like what your elementary school art teacher wore, but also pretty awesome.

2. Vermont-Made Natural Soaps ($13.50 for 3 bars). Triple-milled with an all-vegetable base, and six scents to choose from.

3. Cabled Snood Hat ($25). This retro shape is having a fashion renaissance -- tuck in your hair for instant style and warmth.

4. Bubble Umbrella ($20). Transparent for visibility, extra-long for rain protection!

5. Goo Goo Supremes ($17 for a box of 24). Mix caramel and marshmallows into a cluster, top with pecans and cover in milk chocolate. Et Voila: Heaven.

Runway the Real Way: Spring Style Steals

We turned to uber-stylist Laurie Trott when we had a reader question about how to layer for winter, and now that spring is about to break through the winter clouds, we had to ask her about her favorite seasonal trends.

Of course, Laurie's designer taste runs $$$$, so we found some affordable options too, just for you. (And ourselves.)

1. Neon. A bright accent can make an entire look pop.
   ♥ Runway: Nanette Lepore.
   ♥ Real way: Neon Cutout Pumps (shown), Wet Seal, $15 sale!

2. Faded Denim. Go old-school Americana dusty.
   ♥ Runway: D&G.
   ♥ Real way: Dean Denim Jacket, Forever 21, $23.

3. Fringe. A little shake, shake, shake goes a long way.
   ♥ Runway: Vivienne Tam.
   ♥ Real way: Spitler Bag, Aldo, $25 sale!

4. Tie Dye. We're not talking circular rings on a t-shirt. This is sophisticated stuff!
   ♥ Runway: Proenza Schouler.
   ♥ Real Way: Swing Cover Up, Topshop, $40. (Delia's also has cute tie-dye tanks on sale!)

5. Pastels. Go soft.
   ♥ Runway: Elie Saab.
   ♥ Real way: Dreamy Springtime Skirt in Lavender or Yellow, Forever 21, $18. 

Style Blogger: English Rose

While the world is in full Olympian mode, here in NYC, the Olympics of style are underway with Fashion Week! Today, we've got our own "Fashion Olympian" in 17-year-old style blogger English Rose (that's her writing alias). The London-based teen is up for a Bloggie award this year! Find out more about her:

I Heart Daily:Why/when/how did you start blogging?
English Rose:  I’d had a pretty crappy year and was in a major rut. I read an article about the rise of fashion bloggers and checked out a few really famous ones such as Style Rookie and Sea of Shoes, and I thought, ‘I could so do this.'  I just took a leap of faith and the rest, as they say, is history. The blog was exactly what I needed, it still is.

IHD: Who are your favorite designers?
ER: I like finding quirky, unknown ones, but in the mainstream: Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Dior, Vivienne Westwood to name but a few. All incredibly different, but I think the variety is reflective of my personal style -- sometimes I prefer simplicity and other times I like to take a few more risks.

IHD: What are your favorite places/ways to shop?
ER: There is equal love in my heart for vintage, markets, high street and designer shops (shame I don’t yet have the budget for it!). Some of my favourite London haunts are Beyond Retro for vintage, Carnaby Street and Portobello Road for unique, quirky finds and Covent Garden and Oxford Street for everything else.

IHD: What's on your wish list right now?
ER: Where do I start?! Realistically I really want a Blackberry and a new camera. Unrealistically, the list is endless: a Chanel bicycle, a Tiffany Key necklace, anything and everything from Marc Jacobs, a pair of Christian Louboutin glittery brogues… I’m drooling thinking about all of this…

IHD: Who are your style muses?
ER: In any given week I can channel Alice in Wonderland, Daisy from the Great Gatsby, Katy Perry and Grace Kelly. The girl in bright colours, oozing confidence, walking down the street is just as inspiring as a movie star who has a team of stylists.

IHD: What looks did you like from the spring/summer '10 shows?
ER: I’m one of those rebellious ’fashion-types’ who likes to keep on top of trends so that I can avoid them. Having said that, I am quite fond of the whole ‘pretty’ look for spring: pastels, florals, chiffon, ruffles, bows, skirts, vintage tea dresses, etc. Basically very girly which suits my style perfectly and gives me a chance to finally get rid of the baggy hoodies and jeans I’ve been living in this winter. They may be comfy, but stylish they are not!