It’s almost the end of the school year and for those unfortunate seniors out there, it may also be the end of college. (Wah Wah) The second most asked question (right after “what are you doing to do after you graduate?”), will be “what do you want for your graduation gift?” While my wise brother always claims that cash is king, the older generation often wants to give you something more tangible as a gift.

So here’s a list of things you should ask for so you don’t end up with five copies of Oh the Places You’ll Go:

I just finished my exams on Tuesday (hooray for me!) and have quickly shifted my focus to planning my summer. I want to take several roadtrips, spend weekends at my camp (or cottage, whichever you prefer), work hard at my new job and look stylish while doing it all! I also can’t wait to spring clean the crap my wardrobe. I started this ritual a few years back and now thrive on tossing the old and bringing in the new!

And by “new” I obviously mean “new handbags.” I gotta get rid of the boring, single color bags of last spring and make room for the mixed fabrics, especially canvas and leather, that will totally make my Spring 2011 wardrobe. As with anything trendy, there are several high-end options, but let’s get real; if the bag is only half leather, who wants to empty their bank account?

The best bang for your buck is the Deena & Ozzy Chain Tote. Half canvas and half black PVC, it features two carrying options, both with chain handles and comfy PVC shoulder inserts. It’s a large tote, measuring 19 L x 16.5 H, making it super versatile. It’s the perfect size for a day at the beach, when you need to bring your towel and some snacks, but also works great for a day of eco-friendly shopping (no plastic bags for you!). Also, because of the black PVC bottom, it will also make a great travel bag that you won’t be afraid to put underneath your seat on a train or plane. I’m always thinking functionality!

Inside, you’ll find a back zip pocket and several slip pockets. There is also an external zip pocket at the break between fabrics. Another awesome feature is that this one closes with a zipper, which is rare to see in a tote. This makes it more secure and enhances it’s “travel-friendliness” even more; you won’t have to worry about any pick-pockets!

Like I said, this bag represents a huge trend right now. Not only are celebs showing off their high-end leather-canvas bags, but this very tote was featured on the super popular “Pretty Little Liars.” Check out Aria (Lucy Hale) carrying the Deena & Ozzy Chain Tote in a maroon/black mix!

Even though this tote initially screams “t-shirt and jeans!” it can clearly be dressed up. Come on – how cute is it with that floral dress? And not to get ahead of myself, but how perfect would this be for toting around your books next fall at school? I know, I know, we’re all excited about summer, but this bag is truly season-less…and we all need a reason to get excited for fall classes, right?

I can’t say enough about the Deena & Ozzy Chain Tote. You must head over to Urban Outfitters, fork over a measly $58 and pick one up for yourself!

Check out Alex’s other must-have-bags (and say goodbye to your savings account) here.

One of my earliest memories is my first day of first grade.
I don’t remember what I wore.
I don’t remember what my mom packed me for lunch (though I’m sure there was a Swiss Cake Roll in there).
But I remember exactly what my backpack looked like.

Magenta with bright blue and yellow pockets. I was one rockin’ 6-year-old. And just thinking about that bag makes me as happy as that day when I filled it with markers, construction paper and my Barbie lunch box.

There is something about back to school time, whether you’re entering first grade or freshman year, that is so exciting. You don’t want to do the work, you don’t want to sit in the classes, but still – you can’t wait for the first day of school. And don’t even get me started on school supply shopping. Heaven. On. Earth.

Every year, after the first K-Mart Back to School commercial aired, I’d start hounding my mom for a new backpack. I would spend days convincing her why I needed a brand new backpack and why the one from the year before wouldn’t cut it. Once I succeeded (or annoyed her to the point of mercy), I would spend days deciding what my backpack style would be for that year. Would I go with a cool messenger bag?
A Jansport?
A Kipling? (I always loved those monkeys)
Solid black or a bright color?

Such decisions!

While I don’t need to beg mi madre for a new bag anymore, I do still feel the urge to get something new and fabulous with every passing August. So, for that inner 6-year-old in you who still loves picking out what bag you’ll be dragging to your lecture or toting all your books in late night to the lib,  here are some cute, versatile, affordable bags, totes, messenger bags and laptop bags for you.

Don’t forget your scratch-and-sniff markers and your Lisa Frank Folders, obvi.

Top Row (left to right): Gap, $39.50; Old Navy, $22.99; Target, $12.99.
Middle: Target, $50.99; Urban Outfitters, $50; Urban Outfitters, $58 (can be worn as a backpack or a messenger!).
Bottom Row: CoolComputerBags.com, $49.99; Delia’s, $29.50; CoolComputerBags.com, $79.99.

Summer means beach. Beach means sunscreen, snacks, beach reads, magazines, a towel, a wallet, two pairs of sunglasses (you need some smaller ones so you don’t get those ridonk tan lines), a change of clothes, more snacks…

Basically, a whole lot of crap.

Crap means I need a big ass purse, and by that I mean I’m totes in love with totes that hold all my crap to get me to the beach (even though I still always manage to forget something important….). Instead of dragging your everyday purse to the beach or worse, your mom’s ugly “Acapulco 1992″ straw bag with the sticky sunscreen stains on the bottom, pick up one of these super cute, cheap, totes-cute totes for summer!

And if you’re feeling really creative, create one of LL Bean’s custom-made tote bags. You can pick any of their famous totes (great deal, great size, durable, adorable… it’s no wonder everyone loves them) and pick the colors, the strap length, the shape, etc. to make it all your own. For cheap!

Clockwise from top left: LL Bean, Gap – $39.50, Forever 21 – $24.80, Forever 21 – $29.80, Delia’s – $29.50, TopShop - $20, Charlotte Russe – $16.50, Old Navy – $16.50.

This week, in honor of heavy books, stuffed make-up bags and bulky laptops, I’ve decided to dedicate It’s On to tote bags.

Every girl’s tote needs are totally (tee hee) different. Some of us carry body-bag size totes, while others prefer something a bit more…manageable. Some bring along a purse and a tote. Some of us carry only a tote, and fill it with everything from makeup to Macbooks. With such a variety of uses, there is obviously a giant variety of toting options. And while you could go buy a Coach tote for anywhere between $500 to $900, there are plenty of places where you can get equally cute totes for a cute price.

And you don’t even have to leave the house or jump from store to store. Or run around town comparing prices. Someone else does all the work for you; all you have to do is point and click. Allow me to let you in on a few secrets. My shopping pot-o-gold, if you will. Use wisely.

ShopStyle.com

Shopstyle is essentially an online shopping mall. They run live feeds and update hourly with competitive pricing from stores like Nordstrom, Juicy, American Eagle and even other online sopping stores like Zappos and Ebags. It’s amazing.

If you’re looking for tote bags, then, you hop onto shopstyle, type in “tote” and – voila! – you’re staring at tons of different totes, in thousands of different colors, by millions of designers. Most importantly, though, you have competitive pricing. Just scroll through your many options (don’t worry – you can filter by size, designer, color, etc.) until find that perfect tote bag, whether it’s a Ralph Lauren Canvas Tote for $89.99 (perfect for sliding your Mac in with a few small books or a make-up bag) or a Marc by Marc Jacobs Graphic Birds Tote for $228 (more fashionable than practical, but who doesn’t love Marc?).

You can navigate your way around the site and find the perfect tote to start off the new semester all in time for those wonderfully priced, totally necessary school books.

But while ShopStyle has a large selection, it’s not the only site out there of its kind.
The competition?

Glimpse.com

Glimpse offers a very large selection of styles and brands, but most importantly, they offer a much larger price variety than other sites. Instead of merely directing shoppers to Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Ralph Lauren (like ShopStyle), Glimpse works with other web-shopping sites and mega stores, like Target and Forever 21. That means that everyone – from the girl looking for something under $20 (most fairly priced bags start at $19!) to the girl with $500 to blow – can find what they’re looking for in one easy-to-navigate place.

And the more moderately priced stuff is not cheap, reusable shopping bags. This is good stuff. I just found a Betsey Johnson Eco Tote in Green Poppin on the site for only $19.95! And then I found a Stephane Verdino Extra-Large Patent Tote for $775 (from Saks). Hey, if you got it like that, you can have whatever you like.

So… Which site is better?

What I love most about these two websites is how they allow you customize your search right down to the maximum you want to spend. You can select the brand, the store, the size, the color, the shape, everything. I love it.

And best of all, you can use these sites for all your shopping needs: shoes, totes, jeans, sweaters, tunics, accessories, and even guy stuff! Sites like this have totally revolutionized shopping and made it simple for all of us to see a wide selection at the best price. Without having to go anywhere!

Honestly, I’d recommend using either. Or both.
What? A girl can never shop too much.

So, based on my DIY crafting history, it is obvious that I have a lot of t-shirts lying around. A lot. I just can’t part with stuff that has so much history. And these t-shirts are all souvenirs from really big moments in my life (except the free credit card tees I get on the way to class – I’m not sure why I haven’t gotten rid of those ones yet…)

I’ve been lugging some of these shirts (like the one from my high school senior-all-night-party) around for 3+ years and I recently realized it was time to put them on display like they deserve. Which is why I’ve started turning them into things I actually use. Like an awesome shop-till-you-drop tote bag. Or an adorable throw pillow for your bed or couch.

This little project frees up space in your closet, adds some cute comfort to your bedroom/living room, and allows you to display those important memories (without risk of getting really crusty/yellow armpits). Yes, the DIY T-Shirt Pillow is a total win/win.

Materials:
1 Old t-shirt
Throw pillow sans cover, or pillow stuffing (found at craft stores)
Needle and thread or sewing machine

Steps:
1)    Mark cutting lines on the shirt with chalk or washable fabric pen. To decide the size you need, take the dimensions of the pillow and about 1/2″ on each side for seam allowance, plus about 1/2″ ease. So, add 1.5″ to each dimension side so the material is big enough to fit around the pillow.

2)    Cut along the lines you drew (through both the front of the t-shirt and the back!).

3)    Separate the two layers of fabric and flip both sides upside down (so the designs on the front and back face each other) and stitch along the edge of three sides (usually left, top, and right).

4)    Flip it back out so you can see the design and stuff the inside, either with the throw pillow sans cover or with stuffing.

5)    Sew along the bottom of the square-shaped pillow to enclose the stuffing.

6)    Put in a movie, pop some popcorn, and relax on the couch with your favorite t-shirt throw pillow!

[Ever see something you want but don’t have the money to buy? Ever get sick of studying/watching TV and have the urge to get crafty and make things on your own? We know! Us too! We just don’t know where to start, which is why we got some of CollegeCandy’s craftiest writers to share their favorite DIY projects with everyone. These things are easy, fun and a great way to save some serious cashola.]

Everyone has an old t-shirt (or 40) lying around in the back of their closet that has no chance of being worn again. Not that any of us will ever get rid of them; they have sentimental value! But they are also taking up some much-needed space that would be better utilized for all the new maxi dresses we’ve been eying.

Instead of stacking them in drawers, why not turn them into something useful (and cute) and help protect the environment in the process? Turn that retro t-shirt into a recycled tote bag that can be used for the gym, school, or just walking on the streets! Stop wasting plastic shopping bags (which are typically used less than 30 minutes and only 1 % are recycled) and do your shopping in nostalgic style.

Materials:
T-Shirt (heavyweight cotton works best; size depends on preference)
Scissors
Needle & thread / Sewing machine

Steps:
1)    Lay your t-shirt on a flat surface and smooth it out.
2)    Cut off the sleeves on both sides, taking care to leave the seam in place as it will make your tote more durable.
3)    Cut the neck of the tee in a semicircle shape to make the opening bigger.
4)    Turn the shirt inside out and sew across the bottom to seal the bag. (You can sew over it again to make it stronger.)
5)    Turn the shirt right-side out.
6)    Sew along the edges (where the sleeves were) to make them straight, or you can keep them frayed.
7)    And that’s it! So easy and so useful! Now get out there and stock up on the groceries with your new bag