Fabfrocks at home: The compromise living room

Hi guys,
Well, you've already seen the dressing room and the nursery. Next up on the tour of our new house is the living room. Because the house has a living room and dining room, the room is much smaller than the living/dining combo room we had in the old flat. The affect is that it feels nice and cosy, full of all my favourite things.

I call our living room a compromise room because Mike and I have such different tastes. He likes things minimalist, and is a huge fan of slick black furniture. Me? Well I'm the complete opposite! I like vintage, colour, and clutter! So our living room is an odd combination of both. Here's how it looks:




The trunk looks vintage but isn't, it's actually from Homesense. The phone and lamp are both from Debenhams and the little brass bird was a bootsale acquired gift from a friend. We brought the furry stags head back from Berlin (I promise you stuffing this into Mike's rucksack because we were travelling hand-luggage-only was not a highlight of the trip!) The fireguard screen is the newest addition to this room: I got it from a carboot sale for just £1, where it needed some serious work. We scrubbed it clean, replaced the fabric inside the body of the screen and new jewelled knobs for the top (these are just ordinary doorknobs from B&Q, but they serve exactly the same purpose!)

We're renting this place (we're hoping to buy early next year) so we're reluctant to paint or do any extensive refurbishment to the living room: renting and injecting personality is hard! But I do like this room: it's so cozy and just perfect for snuggling up warm in when it's cold outside.

Do you have to compromise in your house? Do you have different tastes from your partner/housemates and how do you make it work?

Love Tor xx

Spring cleaning for money saving!

Hi guys,
This weekend I spent a glamorous Sunday wearing my rubber gloves and spring cleaning our house. Everything was cleaned from top to bottom. But more importantly, I also de-cluttered every room to create space in our overstuffed cupboards and draws. And now that process is over (thank God!) I want to make a little money from the things that otherwise would be thrown away. Whenever I spring clean I clear out clothes, shoes, books by the hundreds, and take them to our local car boot sale. And now car boot sale season is starting up again (hurrah!!) there’s no better time to spend an afternoon sorting your cupboards out too!

Here are some top tips for clearing out your clutter and making some cash in the process:

-Check for duplicates! Mike and I have similar tastes in films and CDs. Which means when we moved in together (all those years ago!) we acquired duplicates of nearly everything: something I only realised when I was having our big spring clean this weekend! There are loads of sites you can sell your old multimedia to quickly and easily. Or why not box them and take them to your local car boot sale, or sell them on eBay?

-Don’t take any jewellery to a car boot sale or eBay though! You’ll get much more money selling it elsewhere: a cash for gold website is a good first port of call for any gold jewellery you have that you don’t want any more, and would rather have the cash for (think twice before selling any family heirlooms though!)

-Wash all your clothes first! OK so this isn’t a money saving tip, but if you’re going to take bundles of clothes to a car boot sale, please make sure they’re all clean. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been pawing through a pile of clothes only to be immediately put off by a stain and not be able to buy any of it!

-If you have kids, get them to have a clear out too! The stalls that always seem the most popular are those that are full of toys and baby clothes.

- Have a goal in mind! This isn’t essential, but it always helps me when I’m going to the effort to get rid of stuff to know that I’m doing it for a good reason. At the minute, that’s buying our first house. But it could be anything, no matter how frivolous: a night out, or even the Mulberry handbag fund!

Love Tor xx

PS - Want to find your closest car boot sale? Check out carbootjunction.com: they're a great carboot sale listings website!

Trend spotting at Westfield London's Car bootique

Hi guys,
My love of all things car boot sale related is a well-documented fact. So how could I resist popping down to Westfield London to check out their car bootique sale, which is taking place in the atrium from today until Sunday 2nd October.

It's a great event! As well as the car bootique sale, there are also catwalk shows on Saturday and Sunday, and blogger tutorials by blogging superstars The Style PA, Disney Roller Girl, and Fashion Foie Gras. Definitely worth checking out!

The car bootique sale features cars from French Connection, Coach, House of Fraser, River Island and many more.


So what trends did I notice from all of those top stores? Well Heritage is still very hot. The Ted Baker car looked like a walk through a huge English country garden (complete with coat wearing dog) and padded jackets in the barbour style were the order of the day. At the River Island car the heritage trend took a more elderly eccentric turn (my favourite kind) with a mishmash of pussy bow blouse, tweed jackets, and fitted skirts in a variety of clashing patterns and a riot of autumnal colours.


Animal Print is massively popular, and although leopard continued to dominate at House of Fraser and Twenty8Twelve, I think the more luxe and subtle snake print seen on the very understated French Connection car will prove more popular. I adored the biba at House of Frazer collection that was showcased, and just wanted to swath myself in their gorgeous selection of faux furs.

Finally, and my favourite trend of all, is the Modish Sixties trend. Again, I saw this on the River Island car: lots of monochrome and simple clean lines. I also loved the Aline mini dress in mustard, which is just ripe for teaming with black tights and patent black accessories.

Another part of the Car Bootique event is that the team of Westfield are looking for three bloggers to help write their Stylenotes blog. In order to win the chance to write for their blog, you have to show off your unique blogging superskill. (The suggestions were mega videos and hand written poetry). The problem is, I think my blogging skill, or maybe un-skill, is that I'm completely normal: I'm just like everyone else. I'm the same as the girls reading this blog (that's you!) and the girls I saw shopping at Westfield London today.

Admittedly sometimes I get to meet and interview celebs (but I always get star struck!) And I pinch myself at every London Fashion Week show I attend, because I can't believe they let me in! The important thing is though, I never take for granted any of the amazing experiences I get because I write this blog.

But I do love fashion and I want to look good. I want to make the trends work for my body shape and fit in with my lifestyle, just like every other girl you see in Topshop on a Saturday afternoon. And isn't that what a trip to a shopping centre is all about? About normal people finding something they fall in love with (then in my case justifying the expense of buying it for themselves!) and that little bit of fashion magic making them leave the shop feeling really special? That's what I love about fashion and that's the skill I'm showcasing, not clever odes to hemlines , because that's what keeps me writing this blog everyday!

Anyway, enough rambling from me. If you're heading to Westfield London this week, check out their Car Bootique sale: I promise you won't be disappointed!

Love Tor xx

Fabfrocks at Home: I heart Hornsea

Hi guys,

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my acquisition of a gorgeous Hornsea terrine and coffee jar for the bargain price of £2.50 for both pieces. But I definitely excelled that bargain on the Dagger Road carboot sale in Edgware this morning (If you live in the area, this car boot still has plenty of stalls, despite the fact that the summer season is over; it stays open until the end of October!)

I picked up a 40 piece 1974 Hornsea dinner service in the daisy pattern and the mustard/orange colourway for just £20. That works out at just 50p a piece!

The set included the sugar, tea and coffee jars, three large terrines, the coffee and tea pot with the sugar bowl and milk jug. There is also the gravy boat, three serving platters, six teacups and saucers, six plates, six bowls, and vinegar and oil jars. The only set that wasn't complete was the dinner plates: sourcing them will become my next mission!

I love Hornsea table wear. For me, it's one of the iconic prints of the seventies. I love all of their designs, but I am especially a fan of the heirloom range, which is the pattern of the pieces I got on my last trip. This particular collection is called Saffron and it was produced from 1972-1990 (as I said, this is the '74 version). It's amazing what google can tell you about your carboot purchases!

I've never been a big fan of matching, so I will be filling in the gaps in my collection with pieces from another of the patterns and colour ways.

I am a massive advocate for shopping on car boot sales, especially if you like vintage pieces. This same set would have cost ten times as much if i'd been shopping in an antique shop, and apart from that, once you start car booting, the thrill of finding something special becomes almost addictive. It's also environmentally friendly (why buy something that has to be produced new, when something you might fall in love with already exists) and it's a whole lot of fun!And it's not just good for homewares: I also often get great bargains on boots and clothes too! If you're thinking of giving it a go, then check out the fabfrocks guide to carboot sales.

Have you had any car boot bargains this weekend?

Love Tor xx

Fabfrocks at Home: The car boot kitchen!

Hi guys,

Well the bank holiday was over days ago (it feels like months), and what a wash out it was: I've never spent a weekend in August feeling so cold! We still managed to make the most of it though. I went home to visit my parents, and we hit some of my favourite car boot sales. I always love the carboot sales in Lincolnshire: there are a lot more of them, and they're a lot cheaper than the sales in London.

This weekend I cleaned up on the homewear front:



I got the Hornsea terrine for £2 and the coffee jar for 50p. That gives me a new mission of finding the tea and sugar jars to match! The MidWinter soup bowls were £2 for the set of 4 and I got the whole trifle set (dish and 6 bowls) for £2 too.

In fact, £2 was my favourite price, as that's how much I paid for the mirror as well: the mirror needs a good clean, but it was such a bargain! I really love the shape of it, which reminds me of an old-fashioned TV when it's turned on it's side.

Have you had any good car boot sale bargains lately? I love hearing about what people are managing to pick up!

Love, Tor x

Fabfrocks at home: Second-hand nesting

Hi guys,
I've found myself being more and more interested in everything around me being aethetically interesting, and my house (which started life looking like an ikea starter home) is my newest project. Mike's natural instinct is for things to be clean and simple and minimalist. I prefer things to be more cluttered, and I love old vintage/retro furniture which is a bit beaten up, and looks like it's had a life. Our house is a compromise of both of these things, and i've spend the last couple of months scouring antique shops, car boot sales, and charity shops looking for new furniture to breathe a little of my taste into the living room:


I love this yellow wing back chair, which I got from a car boot sale for £6: the mustard colour of the fabric is gorgeous. The following week on the same car boot sale (and for just £5!) I found this embroidered footstool with the cutest mustard coloured house on it. It was fate! The dark wood on both isn't to my personal taste, but I plan to strip it back and repaint it: it's the first job on my things-to-do list after the wedding!

As well as buying new old furniture, i've also been repurposing some of our original furniture. This futon (a gift from my mum) is one of the most useful pieces of furniture in our house, and gets loads of use. But the colour doesn't match our living room at all: cue blankets, cushions, and voila! A perfect little corner snug in our living room that overnight guests can sleep on too!

The next thing on my "really really want" list is a cabinet for my fancy china and other bits to sit in our living room: i've been searching for the perfect one for over 6 months. It has to be right around the corner - but half the fun is in the hunt!

Love Tor xx

Mercedes Fashion Car-bootique - i'm a winner!

Hi guys,
To celebrate London Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz launched a "carbootique" on ebay: car themed products by over 60 fab UK-based designers were on sale, with all proceeds going to charity: Fashion East & to the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. There were some great products: Henry Holland made some pimped up car dice (which I loved, but the bidding went to high) and there was an Erdem sausage dog, perfect for any interiors lover!

I was the winner of three great items: the Charlotte Olympia car bumper stickers (for just £1.21) The Katie Hillier leather keyring (for just over £10) and the Holly Fulton telephone earrings (for £12) I was especially excited about the keyring and the earrings: Katie Hillier, of Marc Jacobs fame, has just started designing handbags with Victoria Beckham, so this was probably the only chance I had of affording something from her! And when I looked on the Browns website, the Holly Fulton earrings were retailing for £125, so I had an absolute bargain (although the earrings haven't arrived yet - I jump everytime I hear the postman!)

Just a little post to share my excitement about my winnings really! Watch this space, by the way, because by the end of the week I will have another exciting giveaway for all of you lovely ladies!

Love, Tor xx

Things to do - Westfield fashion car boot fair

Hi guys,

Today I went for a sneak preview of the Westfield London shopping centre fashion car boot fair which opens tomorrow: a lot of the cars were still being set up, but I saw enough to be excited about how it will look when it's finished!

The visual merchandising of the stalls was fantastic: the Swarovski stall had a magpie theme which I loved, and the Ted Baker stall was really eclectic, and in a thrift store style. I think the Mary Portas Charitable giving car, shown in the bottom picture, will be the most popular (as long as you have a pocket full of cash of course!) because tomorrow they will have a stash of vintage Chanel handbags for sale - if I had the money, i'd be in the front of the queue! Lots of the cars will be hosting activities and give-aways you wouldn't find in store: at the Topshop car you'll have the opportunity to win everything on display, the Whistles car are hosting a whistle tombola to win prizes from the stall (if your whistle blows you win the prize!) A literal translation of the store name that I like:

There'll be lots of other great stuff to do too: I saw a cupcake stall, and apparently a team of senior make up artists will be descending on the MAC stall. And the House of Fraser stall will have a catwalk coming from their car showcasing all the new season looks. And even better, all the things on the cars are available to buy, so it's like normal high street shopping but with extra treats and activities thrown in!

Click here and you can see a list of all the brands participating, and all the great giveaways and competitions they're holding throughout the event. The boot fair will be running from tomorrow (21st September) until 26th September in the atrium at Westfield, giving you plenty of time to check it out! If I get the chance i'll definitely be popping down to see how it looks when it's up and running: i'd love to know what you guys think if you get the chance to go down too!

Love, Tor xxx

Dorothy Perkins and Faith: time to bag a bargain

I don't think the mid-season sales this season have been anything to write home about, and the Dorothy Perkins sale seems like a prime example of this: with just four rails of sale clothes in the store (and this is the big Oxford street store) there was more sale jewellery available than there were sale clothes.

I really like the peachy flats (although at £20 the original price was only £25, so it's not a massive discount!) and there were some great earrings on the jewellery racks: I think the best bargains can be found if you're looking for new costume jewellery. In terms of the clothes, knitwear was well represented, and if you like Dorothy Perkins jeans you have the potential to pick up a pair very cheaply! There were also some lovely soft cullote type shorts in various colours and patterns: these were the best buy for wearing for the coming season, and came in at just £12.

On Friday the news was announced that Faith had gone into administration: the latest victim of the recession we're slowly coming out of, this is more bad news for the British high street. However in the short term it can be good news for your wardrobe and especially good news for your feet:

The window grandly declares discounts of 50%, however in reality there are only about 8 designs which have 50% off (their normal seasonal sale) The rest of the stock in the store has 10% off: this is still a decent discount if you were looking to buy new shoes anyway, but if not then my advice is to do what i'm doing: wait and see if the discounts get bigger!

I don't really need any new shoes, so i'm only buying them if they're an absolute bargain, however there are so really gorgeous sandals in store so it's definitely worth checking out if you need new season shoes! You have to do into the store though: because the store has gone into administration the website has been suspended.

Have a great day!

Tor xx

Welcome to my world; the brooch collection

At the weekend I showed you my new owl brooch, and mentioned that I have a reasonably extensive brooch collection. I've been collecting brooches since I was a teenager: It started with picking up pretty pieces for a pound or two from car boot sales and turned into spending a little more on pieces, but buying them less frequently.

I think because I enjoy wearing so much black (and always have really) I turned to brooches as a way to bring some diversity and an interesting twist to my outfits. When I first started my collection almost noone was wearing brooches and they were perceived as being really old fashioned, which only increased there appeal to me really. Mostly the collection is costume jewellery, but I have a couple of really fabulous collectable pieces too. My parents gifted me the most amazing oversized swarovski piece for Christmas a couple of years ago. These images show just under half of my collection.
Recently i've started focusing the collection on animal brooches. This has happened mostly because i've seen a lot more animals around: the collection is really organic in that regard, and anything can take my fancy. My most favourite brooches though are cameos: initially they all look similar but it's the different facial features that hold my attention and I love the rich pale colours against the gold.

Which is your favourite piece? And do you collect anything? I find it really interesting what people choose to start collecting and why!

Love, Tor xx

The Fabfrocks guide to: Carboot sales

I love carboot sales and I always manage to bag a bargain when i'm out at them: I have been known to spend a pleasant summer weekend with my mum and my sisters hopping from one to the other. This weekend is the weekend most bootsales officially start up, and I have three lined up to attend, so what better time to write the Fabfrocks guide to carboot sales!

1. Do your research. It only takes a couple of minutes to find out where the sale is and what time the sale opens to sellers. There are different thoughts about what time you should arrive: I always like to be at the sale quite soon after it opens to get the pick of the stock, but other carbooters prefer to arrive towards the end of the sale when sellers might negotiate a little more on the price.

2. Decide what you want to pay before you ask how much something is. Very few stalls will have prices on things, so I always like to know how much I think something is worth (to me) before I ask, and I never go over the number I had in my mind. Also, don't be frightened to negotiate: if you had a lower price in mind then it doesn't hurt to ask! The worst someone can do is say no, and even if they don't like your suggestion, they're often prepared to meet you in the middle.

3. Carry loads of change! I know it seems really obvious, but it's easier to get a £1 book for 50p if you have the 50 pence piece in your hand, rather than a £10 note. Its also a good idea to carry one of the many cotton bags we all have shoved in a drawer: not all sellers are organised enough to bring carrier bags, and it will make it alot easier to carry your purchases home!

4. Be open minded. Its a famous old phrase that one mans junk is another mans treasure: I often go to bootsales looking for books (I read alot) or brooches for my collection, but find dresses, tea sets, even an old monopoly board! There is an awful lot of junk at your average boot sale, but I try to see the potential in everything!

So, what are you waiting for? Why not go out and bag yourself a bargain at a bootsale this weekend! You never know what you might find!

Love, Tor xx

Rucksack love: the perfect new season bag

For the past couple of weeks i've been hunting for the perfect tan bag for the summer: I wanted something practical that I could carry to work or the library, but would be equally practical for carrying sandwiches to the park or a towel to the beach. I wasn't sure whether I wanted a satchel or a rucksack. I even toyed with a big drawstring bag. But then I saw this leather rucksack from Jones the Bootmaker, and knew I had found the bag I was looking for:

This comes in tan or black, but it's the tan one i'm interested in! At £69 it's a little overbudget, but given it is 100% leather, I think the price is really reasonable. I'm hitting the carboot sales over the bank holiday weekend, and if I don't find a yummy battered second hand rucksack there, then I will be coming home and making this baby mine! (I got my favourite leather mini satchel from a carboot sale for £1, so there is hope!)

What are your plans for the Easter weekend? Or is it too early to think about it? I already can't wait and keep looking out for the weather forecast - I hope it stays sunny!

Love, Tor xx

Daily wear: Like a spring-time cowboy

I was feeling feminine and wanted to inject a little spring colour into my outfit this morning: Although naturally my base colour is black (predictable much?!) It feels a little cowboy-like though: the ditzy floral, the ruffle of the skirt and the boots all add a country and western feel!

I just realised that this outfit was an absolute bargain: the whole thing only cost £25.50p!!

This is the first time i've worn this little cropped jacket: I got it in the primark sale at the end of last summer for £5, and it has sat in my wardrobe ever since. It's cute though, and I think it will get a lot of wear in upcoming months. The dress was also in the sale from Dorothy Perkins for £10. The ring is from primark for just £1 and although originally I believe from Miss Selfridge, I got this bracelet from a carboot sale for just 50p: over the Easter weekend (when car boot sale season starts up again) i'm going to write a piece about carboot shopping, because it really is where I get all of my best bargains! Finally the cowboy boots are from George at Asda and were £9 in the sale: if Betsey Johnson is bringing back the cowboy boots then who are we to argue?!

I'm not wearing any make up (I left the house in a slow rush having mildly sprained my ankle last night) so I look and feel very washed out, but overall I quite like this outfit: I just don't think I would wear it with the boots again to avoid the obvious cowboy feel!

Love, Tor xx