Shopping: My Sarenza sale picks

Hi guys,

Long after the January sales are over and everyone is starting to talk about their new season wardrobe I have good news: The Sarenza sale is still going strong! And frankly, there's something for everyone. It's not just the left over winter boots or sparkly heels that are on offer either. There are perfect spring-like pumps and sandals to get your hands on too!

I can't resist a good sale (especially when it comes to shoes and accessories) so was delighted. Here are the amazing bargains I picked up from the Sarenza sale this month:

The 'wear now' ankle boots

I got these clog-style ankle boots to replace my tan clog ankle boots from Topshop: The heel has fallen off them! I am a huge convert to clogs. They are the most comfortable heels I've ever worn because they have such a high platform at the front (in relation to the height of the heel).

These will look amazing teamed with skinny jeans and my favourite leather panel leggings to ride out the rest of the winter months.

Studio TMLS boots, reduced from £109.70 to £43.90

The snake skin pumps

Apparently snake print is the new 'in' skin! I love animal prints in their many different forms, so I just couldn't resist these. They'll be perfect for livening up my majoratively black work outfits, or clashing with pretty floral dresses when spring arrives.

Eden Kawi pumps, reduced from £72.50 to £29

The classic-with-a-twist heels

Another Sarenza Ambassador Jen actually picked these up last month, and as soon as I saw them I knew I had to have them! These heels are timeless and seasonless and they really could be worn almost anywhere but the stud detailling on the heels stops them from being boring. I got these to team with a simple tea dress for my nephew's Christening next month.

Ravel Heidi heels, reduced from £75 to £52.50

What do you think of my picks? And what shoe trends will you be looking out for this spring/summer?

Love Tor xx

Frugal February activities: Movie parties, poker nights, sunday lunch...

Hi guys,
As part of "Frugal February" Mike and I have been organising lots of free and fun activities at home. Just because you're saving money doesn't mean you have to live like hermits and never see your friends, right?!

First we had a couple of friends round for Sunday dinner. Aside from the cost of the joint of meat, Sunday lunch is a surprisingly inexpensive meal to make: and easy to do too! It was a great and relaxing way to spend a couple of hours catching up with friends, which is something we'd usually do at the pub, but at half the price!

This weekend we organised a small poker night, using up all of the left over beer and wine we didn't drink at Christmas. The slight flaw in the otherwise-cunning plan, of course, is that I don't actually know how to play poker. In fact, the closest I get to even thinking about poker is when I'm humming along to Lady Gaga's poker face. Mike has tried to explain the rules to me several times: what risks to take, what makes a good hand. But I just don't get it! (I do however play a mean game of Pontoon!) So what really happened is that other people played poker whilst I sat in the corner drinking wine and gossiping: a great night had all round!

Next weekend my little sister is coming to stay with my nephew. This means that we can't go out anyway (without finding and paying for a babysitter). So I am going to organise a movie night: Clueless, Ten things I hate about you, Never been kissed....the list of chick flicks we want to watch is almost endless. The left over Christmas candy will come in handy here (yup, I still have loads) as will my rarely-used popcorn machine.


Are you taking part in frugal February? Or are you on a money saving drive? What have you changed or tried to do differently to save some cash? All tips welcome!

Love Tor xx

Frugal February

Hi guys,
As I mentioned back in January, all of my New Year's Resolutions revolved around saving money. I've been shopping (who can resist the January sales?) but not half as much as usual. And as the accompanying image to this post illustrates, I've taken my packed lunch to work every day (bar two slip ups, when the extra ten minutes in bed was just too tempting!) These little changes mean I've been able to add an extra £200 to my savings account.

This month though, I'm taking things up a notch: No unnecessary spending. On anything. I read about Frugal February on Big Girls Browse, and thought it was such a good idea that I joined up immediately. Frugal February participants stick to one simple rule, which is…
I vow, for one month from 1st Feb, to avoid shopping for anything other than essentials.

And no, new shoes, red lipstick, and that little dress you spotted at 75% off don't count as essentials. I've stocked up on my basic toiletries and filled our fridge and freezer. Instead of socialising at expensive bars and restaurants, Mike and I have invited our friends to our house this month for movie nights, Sunday lunches, and we've even organised a boozy games night.

I know it will be hard to avoid post-work cocktails, too-lazy-to-cook take aways, and especially the new season collections that are hitting the stores. But I know when we finally own our own home it will be worth it. And I'm excited to see how much money I can save!

Want to join in too? You can sign up over at Big Girls Browse, or just let me know how you're getting on in the comments: we can motivate each other!

Love Tor xx

Get ready for spring with very.co.uk

Hi guys,

On Friday I made a flying visit to check out newest Spring/Summer offerings from very.co.uk. They are fast coming into their own, and could soon challenge ASOS as a one stop online shopping destination.

As a fashion blogger I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm always reluctant about shopping online when I don't know what the fabric or quality of the garment will be. I'm so tactile that I just can't bear to wear cheap fabrics against my skin. My mind was definitely put to rest on that front where Very is concerned though: I was very impressed!


These two floor length dresses are from the new LoveLabel Luxe range: higher end pieces from Very's own brand LoveLabel range. The gold sequinned dress is show stopping. It was the first piece to grab everyone's eyes as they entered the room.



I surprised myself by liking several pieces from ranges I wouldn't normally look at: the cobalt blue dress with the pleated skirt is from the Coleen Rooney range (there was also a buttery soft leather jacket in her range that I loved) And the red dress shown above is by DeeVee (Diana Vickers). It's definitely on my 'must have' list: I can't resist tunic dresses and Sixties details.

I'm still trying to save money by not hitting the shops (I'm especially avoiding impulse-based, trend-led purchases). Which is a shame. Because I think my money would be in serious danger on this website.....

Love Tor xx

Do you remember your first love?

Hi guys,

Do you remember your first love? Aside from chocolate biscuits, mine was a chap called Andy from Rotherham (yup, it's all glamour for me).

I was fifteen years old, and I thought he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I even thought the fact he came from Rotherham made him mysterious and exotic: oh the deluded power of love! When we broke up I thought I would never recover. We were the Romeo and Juliet of the North, and there was no way to get over it: for a month or two at least, until boyfriend number two came along!

Aside from to make you all cringe, why am I sharing my puppy love stories? Because of Dr Martens new campaign: #Firstandforever. They're inviting people to tell them about their firsts: first love, first heartbreak, first pair of Dr Martens....

I popped along for a sneak preview of the new campaign video last night, featuring Agyness Deyn looking unfeasibly beautiful. And now you can see it too. I promise this video will make you wish you were fifteen again:

I still remember my first pair of Dr Martens. They were shoes, not boots: black and clunky and ugly as hell. Especially when teamed with my gangly teenage legs! But I loved them: just as much as I love my chunky boots now. At least that's one love that did survive!!

Tell me about your first love!

Love Tor xx