Spring Trends and How to Wear 'Em: 2012

It's that time again! Time when I sift through all of the stuff that magazines say "YOU MUST HAVE" to bring you the most wearable trends available. Some are so not wearable at all. One I saw was colored camo. Really? We're doing colored camo now? That might work in the city, but I live where people actually go hunting and I Would be laughed at if I showed up in puprle camo. So I'll leave that one to the city slickers. I kid you not, the other day I drove behind a truck with a big old dead deer in the back and every time they turned a corner I'd see it roll around. It was So. Gross. Sometimes I think I'll never get used to living here.

But all dead deer aside, there are some seriously cute trends going on this spring that you -- yes, even you who wears sweatpants to WalMart -- can try to look like you know stuff about fashion. I *love* knowing stuff.

OK, time for my usual disclaimer here. As usual, remember that trends are trendy. That means you really don't need to go crazy with them. See what's new and pick a few things that you want to try for yourself on the cheap. That way, if yo don't like it, you haven't spent major moolah on stuff you'll never wear again. And please, don't wear these all at once. You'll look crazy. Crazy like a person with a dead deer in your truck.

Shall we?

1) Orange!

BKE lace top, $25
Knee length skirt, £17
2 Lips Too peep toe platform pumps, $45
H M leather shoulder bag, £25
Mantaray logo watch, £20
Miso flower earrings, £6
Wet Seal rope belt, $11

Orange is THE color du jour and I kind of love it. Remember when everything was all about mustard in the fall? It's now all about super bright orange. The color you want almost looks like it's been mixed with coral. You're going to see a lot of coral and orange in this post because it's gonna be big. Just make sure that when you wear orange, you steer clear of black. It's not Halloween. I like it with navy and white as neutrals. PS I must have striped wedges this year. MUST.

2) Peplum Dresses

Dorothy Perkins v neck dress, $49
Rampage platform shoes, $40
Star by Julien Macdonald flap handbag, £21
Turquoise bangle, $29
Topshop leather jewelry, $20

I could not love a human baby as much as I love this trend. Peplum (the fancy British name for the little ruffle at the hip) dresses are SO amazing for spring and I already bought mine -- it's the teal dress I have. But I also want this one. Unfortch, it's sold out and that makes me very sad. But you get the idea. The trend is alll about a super feminine, vintage look. Just don't go crazy. I've seen some crazy peplum dresses that have like, a full skirt on top of a skirt. This isn't Inception. Look for small details that make a big difference. Then wear it will all of your most proper accessories.

3) Exaggerated Prints

Summer dress, £30
H M leather jacket, £30
Sodamix Tropical print maxi, £30
Navy and Fuchsia V-neck Maxi Dress, $47
Forever 21 platform wedge, $27
ALDO platform high heels, $41
Stud earrings, $5.99
VIcenza beaded cuff bracelet, £6
Gold necklace, $25
Michael Michael Kors Mk Plate Jelly, $49

Yaaaay it's maxi dress season again! I am so excited to drag them all out again. But this year, it's all about exaggerated prints. We're look for huge graphics, bold colors and prints that look like a magnifying glass has been zeroed in on a piece of material. This goes for just about everything -- skirts, tops, cardigans, whatever. Just look for non-boring patterns. Last year it was all about vintage-y, scattered prints, but this year, the bolder the better. You can still wear your solid maxis though. I absolutely will be doing the same thing.

4) Pastels

Splendid striped shirt, £66
Blazer, £28
Hollister Co. faded jeans, $50
Call it SPRING ballerina flat, $40
Beige handbag, £15
Stone jewelry, $17

Spring means pastels, but they don't have to be Easter egg colors. This tank, with the brighter pastels makes me die inside. When you want to try pastels, make it look as crisp as possible. I love them with a white blazer or cardigan and a dark wash denim. That way, the look isn't wishy washy Laura Ashley. Finally, always add in a harder-edged element. A chained bag makes this look less like Easter Sunday and more everyday cuteness.

5) Color Blocking

Wallis tie shirt, $44
Hollister Co. skinny leg jeans, $50
Flat heels, $36
Faux leather handbag, $48
Mango silk shawl, £15
ASOS skinny belt, $11

If you've never heard of color blocking, you've probably never been on Pinterest. Seriously, this it ALL of what's over there. Color blocking means putting large pieces of solid color against each other. But some people can look like crazyperson clowns when color blocking, so here's a more tame version. I'm all about color blocking in accessories. The shoes and scarf hit the trend without it looking crazy. Now, a seasoned blocker would put this outfit with like, green skinnies. But that's super advanced. A dark wash denim tones down the whole outfit. Then, add a neutral bag to anchor everything and you can wear super bright colors without looking like your 5 year old picked out your outfit.

OK, those are my top five for the season. Now I feel like I need to rush off to the store for some turquoise flats and a lemon yellow belt, but that will have to wait. I have a very important schedule of cleaning my house on tap today. Fashion must take a backseat to the small mountain of pistachio shells currently residing on my desk. They're grossing me out.

So spill: which trend are you most excited to try this spring?