The most important thing to happen to Blogging this year?

Hi guys,
There are two things I look for when I'm reading a blog (and deciding to keep coming back again and again) Interesting content and great pictures. Now having the latter will be infinitely easier, thanks to Getty's announcement today that they are making the full spectrum of their images free to use for bloggers and other non commercial users. This is HUGE! In fact, I'm going to call it the most important thing to happen to blogging this year (Yes, I know it's only March)

All you have to do is visit the Getty website and find the image you want to use, then when you use the new Getty embed tool you can add that image to your site completely free. Because Getty is home to tens and millions of different images, this will be a complete game changer for bloggers: particularly celebrity and fashion bloggers that rely on instant access to relevant imagery to enhance their content! To prove the point, I've illustrated this post with a couple of images of some famous folks arriving on the red carpet for the Oscars on Sunday night.


As an additional note, I'm sure it takes hours to look that effortlessly beautiful, but Naomi Watts is my new beauty icon based solely on how incredible her make up looks in this picture! Embedded images will include photographer attribution and, when clicked, will link back to www.gettyimages.com where the image can be licensed for commercial use.(You can click it and see for yourself if you like!)

Of course, many blogs are using images that originated from Getty on their sites already: it's easy to find the image you're looking for on google, and simply modify it and add it to your site yourself. But such practices are not only illegal (although there is yet to be a case of an unpaid blogger being taken to court for doing so) they are also making it much harder for the average photographer to scratch a living, thanks to the onset of fast and accessible digital images. This new tool is at least an attempt to readdress that balance. To try the tool out for yourself, please visit www.gettyimages.com/embed That's what I did, and I couldn't believe how easy and quick it was to do! Like I said, it's a complete game changer! Will you be using Getty's free images on your blog?

Love Tor x

Vogue's Fashion Night Out Moves to Manchester

Hi guys,
I have been attending Vogue's Fashion Night Out for years: hitting the shops of Bond Street and fingering clothes I couldn't afford whilst dancing to trendy DJs. Eating candyfloss in River Island. Drinking endless delicious free cocktails: it's a great night out for fashion addicts, and a great time to go shopping if you're looking to make some new purchases and want to bag some decent discounts. But until this year it was an event that always held it's UK night out in London: not this year though. This year Vogue's Fashion Night Out is moving to Manchester!

So what's happening in Manchester on Fashion Night Out this year? Well, more than 160 city centre shops, bars, galleries and restaurants have signed-up and will be open late into the night, offering exclusive trend parties, designer personal appearances, customisations, fashion shows, celebrity appearances and much more. I would've liked to head up and check it out myself, but I am going to be on holiday.
So if you're heading up and looking for bargains/freebies what will you find? Cath Kidston is hosting a 20th birthday cocktail tea party with a free tea leaf reading with every purchase, while Whistles will be offering clutch bag monogramming. Guests can enjoy exfoliating hand and arm massages at Molton Brown. ‘Wreck My Dress’ will also be positioned at Molton Brown’s St. Ann’s store to take snapshots of guests at a mini photo shoot.

There will be a live pop-up photo shoot in store at H&M, as well as a high street A/W fashion show and super-sized digital tweet wall within Manchester Arndale. Keep a look out around the city for a Selfridges host giving out gift cards loaded with a mystery amount from £5-£50. Oh, and my favourite standard London event will be making the move, as M&S offer their free proscecco bar. Yummy!

Will you be at Vogue's Fashion Night Out this year? And what do you think about the move 'up north'?

Love Tor x

In which I announce I'm having a baby!

Hi guys,
I think the title says it all really. I'm knocked up, up the duff, preggers.....Meet mini baby Hampton (that's my married name, by the way, rather than just a random surname we fancy for the baby!)

Delivery of this particular order is expected in November. You wouldn't let Yodel get away with taking that long, would you?!

We're nervous, excited, and just can't wait to meet our baby. And really glad we can finally share the news with everyone!

Love Tor xx

Alicia Silverstone looks wild!

David Beckhams first game for LA Galaxy was a star studded affair, but for me the star of the show wasn't Mrs Beckham aka "The Posh one" (who wore black and pouted alot, so nothing new there!) but the very casual Alicia Silverstone.

Sporting jeans, a turquoise t shirt with tiger logo, and with her hair hanging in casual curls around her shoulders she looked dressed down but glamourous; a movie star on her day off! (And it's a good job really, as thats what she is!)

*SIGH* If only I could pull off looking so effortlessly gorgeous in nothing more than a t shirt and jeans.......

Land Ahoy!!

More rain this weekend led to more towns flooded and more people's lives thrown into disarray.

With this selection of wet weather goodies however, at least your wardrobe will stand by you when the weather lets you down!

1) Jella Welly Parrot Print Boot. Office £20.

2) Metallic Blue Parka. Topshop. £55

3) Purple Gingham Umbrella. Topshop. £12

It's never to early to think about Christmas.....

With todays torrential downpours leaving me feeling very unsummery (and more than a little wet!) in my inappropriate ballet pumps, it started me thinking about more appropriate footwear that would see me looking stylish (and dry) all the way through til Christmas.



Now this is a sentence I never thought I would say, but theseUGG boots are perfect for winter everyday wear. When Kate Moss started the trend in the UK, I didn't like the UGG look. Comfy, yes. Stylish, no. This new version however, seem different. They are leather so they look great, whilst still having the warm and comforting fur inside. The leather straps, dark fur trim, and extra height all give the boots a biker feel . These boots are understated, great quality......

....And for £200 from Office, they could be yours right now. Hmm, I wonder whether Primark will be bringing out a nice cheap version instead!

Ready, Steady, Shop!...........

.........because the River Island sale started at 9 o clock this morning, and it's set to be huge!

I had a little sneaky peak in the Oxford Street store after closing last night, and can confirm that the front half of the store was completely taken over by giant red signs attached to cut price goodies!
I'm going for the candy coloured polka dot T bar flats and some oversized shades (both a massive bargain at 50% off!) I'm going to try to steer myself away from the tunic dresses and brightly coloured kaftans (I really don't need any more) but i'm not making any promises! When something's a bargain, I sometimes just can't help myself!

I will post pictures of any lovely bargainous treats I pick up. Happy hunting!

Brighten up your day........

I have just spotted the perfect dress to beat those "where did my summer go?" blues.

At just £32.00, this dress from Topshop (which is 'New In' today, dontcha know!) is a bargain! With empire line top, A line skirt, and slight puff sleeves, this dress will flatter any figure. And the pillar box red colour is guarenteed to brighten up everyones day.

Simply team with silky smooth pins and wedges if the sun starts shining, or opaque tights and ballet pumps if the sky stays grey. This versitile dress will be perfect, whatever the weather. Hmmmm, i wonder whether i'll beat the rush if I leave now...........