Fashion for good: Monsoon collaborates with Burts Bees

Hi guys,
I always love fashion for good. It makes me feel a little bit better about my out-of-control shopping habit if my purchases occasionally help charity! So this morning I went to the launch of 'Bee Mine', a collection that Burt's Bees have launched with Monsoon.

The special partnership has been formed to help raise awareness of the plight of the honey bee in the UK and the work of the British Beekeepers Association and the Adopt A Beehive project.




The collection is formed of two pieces: a cute bumble bee jumper and the "Bee Mine" playsuit, which has a beehive pattern, and tiny honeybees all over it. Instead of a standard label, each piece has a wild seed flower packet from Habitataid attached to it: the seeds inside have been specifically chosen because they are good for honey bees. And, if you buy either of the two pieces (or both if you're feeling especially spendy!) you get a Burt's Bees honey lip balm added to your order for free at the till.

Cute pieces, free lip balm, and the chance to do something for the greater good? You really can't lose!

Love Tor xx

Do you want to play a game?

Hi guys,
Last Wednesday afternoon I had just got back to my desk from a trip to the pub (for a lunch of sticky BBQ chicken and chips) and was sitting down to check my emails and enjoy a bar of Galaxy chocolate. As a was scoffing my second square of chocolate, I opened an email that was entitled "Fancy playing Weight Watchers?"

Now I post enough outfit photos for you guys to know that I'm not a skinny girl. But I'm not plus sized either. I've always been fairly comfortable in my own skin, but I've also noticed that since the wedding I've put on a few pounds: settling into married life, and cooking super sized feasts with my husband meant that any weight I lost for the wedding is now firmly back, plus (to be honest) a bit more too!

So I responded to the email (I finished eating my chocolate bar first) and said yes. If losing weight is a game then I want to play! Weightwatchers isn't just a last resort for the morbidly obese (as I has previously, very wrongly, assumed) You can join and play along if you just want to drop a dress size, lose those last couple of pounds, or just get back into healthy eating habits.

I currently wear a size 16 (14 on a good day) and would like to be comfortably back in all of my size 14 clothes again. Not a massive target: I'm not planning to give up food and look like Kate Moss or anything. But definitely a big enough starting challenge for me, and I know dropping those pounds will make all the difference to how I feel when I get dressed in the morning.

So the upshot of all of this is that I'm going to give it a go. Try to shed a few pounds so that I feel healthier and my clothes feel better. Exercise a couple of times a week and leave the biscuit tin alone. And, if you don't mind, I will occasionally be sharing my journey with you guys. Wish me luck!

Love Tor x

Supermarket love: George at Asda s/s press day

Hi guys,
I don't mean to get all Gok Wan on your asses, but it really is amazing how damn good the fashion offerings from our British supermarkets are. We really do high end and fashion forward trends at affordable prices better than anyone else. I have several pieces from Clothing at Tesco and George at Asda that I have worn season after season without any signs of wear and tear. And with prices generally below £10 for separates and below £15 for a frock, it's a great way of injecting new trends into your wardrobe of staples every season, without it costing a fortune.

This morning I popped down to the George at Asda press day, to see what trends they would be offering us for this Spring/Summer:

The three main trends George seemed to be focusing on this season were similar to the rest of the highstreet: pastels, acid brights, and conversational prints. The conversational print section was the one I was most impressed with: I loved the Victoria Beckham-esque cat print top, the bird print dress, and the gorgeous crown print cardigan, which would be perfect for a kitsch Jubilee celebration. Obviously Jubilee themed pieces (in red, white and blue) are hot property for them, because they're such a cheap option if you need a new outfit for a themed party: think T shirts with corgis on them, union jack print dresses, and bright coloured jeans.

I wasn't as impressed with their accessories selection (it's the one part of my outfit I don't like to scrimp on: only real leather shoes and good quality bags for me!) but if you're heading on holiday this summer and need a beach bag or a couple of pairs of disposable flip flops or sandals, it's definitely worth checking out.

Do you shop in your local supermarket? Or do you tend to think they should stick to vegetables, not fashion? Love to hear your thoughts!

Love Tor xx

Trend: Ice lolly legs!

Hi guys,
I'm trend obsessed. I don't really have my own deeply ingrained sense of personal style, I see myself as more of a chameleon. I just unashamedly love to follow trends, and make them my own. But I also know what works for my shape and fits into my current wardrobe, and what doesn't. And sadly, currently on top of that 'what doesn't' list is this season's hot obsession with bright and candy coloured jeans and trousers.

If only real life was as happy as a GAP ad!

I bought a pair of red skinny jeans from Topshop, and wore them just twice. I really wanted the trend to work for me, but in reality I just ended up wearing outfits that made my (already bigger than the rest of me) look disproportionately large and, well, bulbously bright red!

If I could rock the trend though, here's how I would be wearing it: in bold block colours teamed with equally attention grabbing masculine blouses and pared down accessories. Feminine, understated, and fashionable. Live the dream:

(All of the model pics are from Primark) Pink skinny jeans with belt, Select, £22. Yellow jeans, Topshop, £38. Green jeans, Oasis, £40.

Of the bloggers I regularly read and love, Jen (A Little Bird Told Me) and Reena (Fashion Daydreams) are the two that rock the coloured jean look in a way I can only dream of. Leaving me in my selection of black jeans (my favourite!) hoping that the darker denim look will be back on trend in no time!

What trends do you love but can't wear? If you really loved a look would you wear it anyway, even if it didn't suit your figure?

Love Tor xx

Fabfrocks at Home: New Lovely things!

Hi guys,
It's been a little while since I wrote a Fabfrocks at Home post. With the car boot sale season over until April, I haven't been making as many new additions to my vintage treasure trove. But last weekend I went home to visit my parents, and we visited Horncastle, my favourite antiques village, where I picked up some beautiful things:


I picked the old hairdressing mirror up from the Age UK charity shop, for just £1.99. It really needs reframing (the frame is coming to pieces at the back) but I thought it had such great character I was prepared to put a little work into making it lovely. The mantle clock was from one of my favourite antique shops called Great Expectations, and cost £35. I've been looking for the perfect one for ages, but didn't want one with a Victorian-style face. This one is perfect, although its very loud chiming is taking some getting used to!

More exciting than these things though is the most beautiful new acquisition to the fabfrocks household: a gorgeous, vibrant sofa throw (which matches my liberty print paisley fabric and new aubergine rug perfectly) hand crocheted by my mum:


You can only imagine the hours that went into creating this for us: a genuine labour of love. I love the combination of the modern colours and pattern with the old-fashioned technique. The turquoise trim was a complete surprise but it's actually my favourite bit: it really adds drama. It's the perfect match for our modern/vintage home!

Have you made any new home purchases lately? Do you have any favourite shops or antique haunts to share?

Love Tor xx