Christmas time in Disneyland Paris

Hi guys,
Apologies for the huge break in posting over the festive period: working for yourself, having a toddler and organizing Christmas simply doesn't work well with being a good blogger, i'm afraid. Not to mention that we spent the first week of January on holiday to Disneyland Paris. This was Wilbur's third trip to Disneyland Paris and he, as well as the both of us, are completely hooked! Here is an unashamedly self- indulgent look at our trip, but I will follow it with some useful tips:

Tips
-Winter in Disneyland Paris is cold. Much colder than at home, and this feeling of being cold is emphasised by the fact that you're outside for most of the day. We all wore thermals (both long johns and long sleeved vests) under our regular winter clothes and wrapped up as much as possible: this kept us warm and ensured we were able to focus on having fun, not on whether or not we could feel our toes!

-Do make use of the photopass service. For just 59.99E you can have professional photos from all of the rides and at all of the character meets and greets added to your photopass card, so that you can print them and see them when you get home. All of the above are from our photopass card, and it took the pressure off me to make sure i'd captured the moment, so I could just focus on having fun.

-Meet as many characters as possible! During the Christmas season they all wear special Christmas costumes, so if you visit the park regularly during the rest of the year this is a great draw and something that will bring a new dimension to your photographs. Also look out for special seasonal meet and greets, such as our meeting with Jack Skellington in his Santa suit.

-See the parades. The Christmas parades are something else! Not as long as the regular 'Magic on Parade' parade but with an amazing festive atmosphere that will have both big kids and little kids completely enchanted. Wilbur is still talking about the fact he saw Santa in the parade and that he was sitting in the same sleigh as goofy (his favourite character). Without sounding too soppy, it's things like this that will create memories they'll never forget.

The 2015 Christmas season at Disneyland Paris runs from the beginning of November to the end of the first week in January. The earlier and later in the season you go, the quieter the parks will be. If you're tempted, you can already book this right now. 

Love Tor xx

Goodie Bags: Planning the Perfect Hen Do

Hi guys,
As soon as I returned from our holiday, I packed another bag so that I could get up the next morning and head off for my sisters hen weekend! I had organised it all, so I was very nervous about everything going well. We headed down to Brighton where we enjoyed a life drawing class, cocktail making, a delicious dinner and danced the night away. And it was awesome: phew!!

As well as organising the party I had also organised goodie bags for all of the 12 girls that attended. I decorated the bags and filled them with goodies for everyone:

The pastel coloured bags are from Hobbycraft. I embellished them myself using stick on gemstones: one painful gemstone at a time! On each name label I also added gems to look like minature Mickey Mouse ears, as a Disney theme was the order of the day. The bags were filled with a host of stuff:

Practical things: I taped paracetamol to water bottles so that people could soothe their sore heads the morning after the night before. I also added a tin of mints to each bag and some miniature toiletries in case any one had forgotten to pack their own. And because I am the queen of hyper-organisation I also added a copy of our itinerary to each bag so that everyone would also have the names and addresses of our next destination.

A gorgeous keepsake: My absolute FAVOURITE thing that I put in the goodie bags was the personalized shot glass from Mugshot Glasses which had a picture of Amie's face on it, as well as the date of the weekend we went away. I loved these so much (and so did everyone else) so they really made an impact and Amie got a real kick from drinking out of her own face. I think these were a fantastic addition to the bag because whilst everything else in it was disposable, this was a nice keepsake that everyone could take home and have as a souvenir to remember the weekend. They only cost £5 each too (unless you're ordering more than 10 in which case they are £4 each) so they aren't going to break the bank if you're organising a party on a budget. Hands down the best thing I ordered!!

Adornments: I popped in 'team bride' badges for everyone to wear (a bargain from eBay) and to keep with the Disney theme (but in a subtle way) I added little tiaras and wands for everyone to wear in the evening too. We had dressed up in full on Disney costumes all day, so everyone wanted to glam up a little in the evening: this was the perfect way for them to do just that whilst still having a hen do feel. Amie had to wear a much more ornate crown, complete with veil, sash and huge 'Bride' badge. And of course it wouldn't be a hen do without the obligatory willy straws, sweets and balloons! I don't think you're ever too old to laugh at a funny willy.....

Have you ever organised a hen do? I'd be interested to know if you made goodie bags and what you put in them? I swear organising these actually took longer than organising the party!

Love Tor x

Collaboration: ASOS x Minnie Mouse

Hi guys,
If you've got ears, say cheers! Mickey and Minnie Mouse are massively popular in our house: Wilbur and I watch The Mickey Mouse Club House every day, whilst playing with his Clubhouse figures and cuddling his Clubhouse teddies. Mike pointed out just last week that he and I have been to Disneyland Paris together every year for the past four years without really realising, so I have to confess to being a bit of a Disney addict too. Disney doesn't just provide inspiration for my holidays or TV viewing either: Mickey and Minnie Mouse are both massive style icons in the great wide world of fashion.

Minnie Mouse has acted as a muse for several huge designers, including Marc Jacobs, Giles Deacon, Lulu Guinness and Richard Nichol. There are also Minnie-branded Disney ranges in almost every high street store you can think of: I've bought Disney tees from Topshop, Primark and H&M over the years. But now ASOS have taken things one step further by launching a range of adult Minnie Mouse ears headbands in collaboration with Disney. The brand are hoping the headbands will be perfect for summer fun and festivals:

The range launches at ASOS on Friday with prices starting from £10. I am going to (and organising) my sister's Disney themed hen 'do later this year, so I think I'll have to have the blossom ears for the occasion! And, of course, the studded ears would blend into my everyday wardrobe so perfectly I'm almost trying to convince myself I could get away with wearing them on a day to day basis; you know, like you do to the park or the farm!

What do you think? Will you be putting on your ears and saying cheers?

Love Tor x

Fashion Lessons We Can Learn From Disney Princesses

Hi guys,
Whilst I was watching the Princesses on parade at Disneyland Paris last week, and marvelling at how well presented they always are, I came up with this fun idea for a post: fashion lessons we can learn from Disney Princesses. It also gave me a great excuse to share some of my princess parade photos!

1. The most fashionable women think outside the box. All you need is a little imagination: anything can become part of your outfit if you use your initiative. Just ask Ariel and her use of seashells. Or Giselle and her frocks fashioned from curtains!

2. Cropped tops really are the next hottest trend. Especially if you've got a fabulous figure like Princess Jasmine in Aladdin. And whilst we're talking about Princess Jasmine, detailed harem pants are a great on-trend alternative to a dress for evening wear too!

3. Don't have time to blow dry your hair? Why not use the Colours of the Wind as a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative: it worked for Pocahontas!

4. Don't underestimate the effect putting on a really really great dress will have on you - and, apparently, you're level of attractiveness to handsome princes. The list of down-on-their-luck wannabe princesses this has worked for is too long to list!

5. No matter what you're wearing, it pays to make sure you're always wearing fabulous shoes. After all, the handsome prince wouldn't have gone chasing after Cinderella if she'd left Crocs behind!

And the lessons I've learnt from the Disney villains? Well, fur always looks fabulous, darling (just ask Cruella de Ville). Black is the most flattering colour for fuller figure gals (just ask Ursula the Sea Witch) and if you go to a party where someone is looking much 'fairer' than you either pretend they don't exist or eliminate them (well, if it works for the evil queen from Snow White....)

Love Tor x

I'm in wonderland!

Hi Guys,

At the exact moment this scheduled post was published I will be walking down the aisle to meet my very own handsome prince (I don't plan on being late!) After months of hard work, our Alice in Wonderland wedding is in progress: I can't wait to share the photos of it all with you guys when we get back from our honeymoon.

Because it's my Disney fairy tale day (and I am a Disney addict) I thought I would show you the new Disney Bridal wedding dresses that are available from August that I am coveting hard. Alfred Angelo has collaborated with Disney to come up with a series of wedding gowns inspired by each of their princesses: Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White and Tiana.

Wish me luck, and see you all in a fortnight!

Love, Tor xx

Alice? Alice? Who the **** is Alice??

On Saturday (before the worst of my icky illness really kicked in) I went to see the wonderful Alice in Wonderland at the cinema. (By the way, this cost me £12.95, which I resented-when did going to the cinema start costing as much as cheap theatre seats?!) I haven't been feeling well enough to engage my brain into writing a proper review, so this comes a little late, but if you're still caught up in Alice-fever, here it is:

I love Tim Burton's distinctive film style, and this didn't disappoint. The film is a sequel to the original Disney Alice in Wonderland cartoon which I thought was an inspired decision, as although you know the basis plot (which is drawn on alot) it also gives enough room to leave you guessing.

As far as i'm concerned Johnny Depp can do no wrong and although the inevitable comparisons have been made between his performance here and his performance as Captain Jack I thought the two were worlds apart: here he is vulnerable, lost, and wild. Helena Bonham Carter was the perfect choice for the red queen; she pouted like a petulant child and was terrifying in the same way it is always terrifying when someone ignorant and with no self-control is given power. Ann Hathaway as the White Queen was difficult to relate to, but I wondered if Burton had made this deliberately so; how can anyone relate to someone who professes to be perfect?

This film is a treat for the eyes, and seeing it in 3D only enhanced the spectacle: the costumes, the scenery, the wonderland. There was so much to take in it was overwhelming. I'm not giving any of the plot away because i'm sure lots of you will still want to see the film, but I found it magically nonsensical, and definitely worth the watch. I also found myself reciting the Jabberwock all the way home, and wishing I was Alice.

I'm a big fan of dressing up to go to the movies, and if you want to channel a little wonderland into your look, what better place to start then the Tom Binns for Disney Couture jewellery. This has been everywhere over the past month, so I finally decided to succumb and check it out. I was impressed: pretty, intricate designs. I especially love the keyhole ring, although I do think £40 is overpriced for a base metal ring with an adjustable band. Still, if you're prepared to accept that you're paying for the design and the name rather than for quality of materials, I think this is a lovely collection. Prices are between £14-145. (The more expensive pieces are gold plated) I also like how wearable this collection is; it's subtle enough that even after Alice fever has disapeared the pieces could still integrate and become wardrobe staples.

Will you be channelling Alice in your wardrobe this Spring? Or do you hate it when these gimmicky trends kick off and avoid them like the plague?

Love, Tor xx

Disney celebrates: Celeb style!

With passions as abstract as mine, it's not often I get to write about them both at the same time: In fact, they often seem diametrically opposed. Fashion and Disney. I often despair that fashion has no sense of humour whereas Disney has bucketloads. I love Disney films, and Disney characters, and spending as much time as I possibly can in Disneyworld- In fact, in my desperate bid to combine my 2 first loves i'm like a big kid, I even source out Disney clothes and make people wear them!

Unflattering Minnie Mouse sweater dress £12 from George at Asda (Also available in black) Becky's bemused look: models own.


For all of you non-Disney geeks out there, this year is Disneys "Year of a million dreams", an initiative which started last year and continues all the way through 2008. Basically speaking, over a million dreams will be randomly awarded during the 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway. These can range from meeting your favourite character, to a week long Disney cruise. (And if anyone from Disney is reading this, when I head over in March I really want to be in one of the parades: make it happen!)


To celebrate (and no doubt advertise) the'Year of a Million Dreams' Disney have hired Annie Leibovitz to shoot a celeb-packed series of photos of the same title. Leggy model Gisele Bunchen starred in the shoot which also starred Jennifer Lopez, her husband Marc Anthony, Whoopi Goldberg, Jessica Biel, and Tina Fey.
The only way I can think to describe this image is "Disney for grown ups". Gisele looks ethereal and the wind blowing through her nightshirt transforms it into a beautiful gown. Yet the picture also has quite sinister overtones: the lighting is darker than the usual candy coloured array you expect from Disney, Tinkerbell seems to be casting a spell over Gisele who looks both entranced and unhappy. And rather than stand at the window, the Peter seems to be falling from it, his life balanced precariously on a ledge. This image is a more traditional representation of a classic Disney pose, although my eye is drawn away from the sickening couple, and JLo in gold lame', and towards the beautiful background setting and the way the Annie has caught the sun setting over the desert so beautifully. As an aside, does anyone else think of Jordan and Peter singing "A whole new world" when they look at this image? If not, sorry to put that nightmare in your head!


Whoopi Goldberg as the genie. Pure. Genius. Fact. I love the movement in her hair and that her jewellery is beautiful and subtle: implying the bondage of a genie without resorting to costumes and trickery.


Anyway. If you made it this far, thanks for indulging me and my love of Disney (A love that dares not speak its name) Oh, and one more thing:


Well, all those celebs are indulging in their Disney fantasies, why shouldn't I?*



*Sorry, I couldn't resist!