Etsy obsession of the week: Fables by Barrie

I missed last weeks etsy obsession, because my etsy trawls lately have mostly lead me on wedding hunts: it's amazing what you can find on that site, and even more amazing how much of it I will be attempting to make at home!

Today though I gave the wedding hunt a miss and began my hunt looking for the perfect bikini: I always generally opt for a one piece to hide my wobbly tummy, and have already written a couple of posts this year about the perfect onesy, but now i'm looking for a bikini. I want to get brown, and sadly that means revealing a little bit of flesh!

Winona of Daddy Likey has written a series of great posts about finding the perfect swim suit for bigger girls: turn to her for the funny!! For the best place on etsy to find an affordable vintage inspired bikini (vintage swimwear is most flattering on curves) stay on the page:

I love these bikinis from Fables by Barrie especially the sailor pattern and the high-waisted shorts (to keep wobble under control) It is the perfect compromise between getting bronzed and staying covered up, and I think it looks more sexy than those tiny little string things which only really suit swimwear models!

Top and bottoms from Fables by Barrie will set you back around £100, which is more than your average swimsuit, but they have a timeless classic appeal and they look like quality garments too.

I hope you all have great bank holiday Monday fun: i'm going to the Hatfield Galleria for their discount craft shop, to get the rest of the things I need to make my wedding invitations. Have a good one guys!

Love, Tor xx

Getting festival fit with a little help from Henry Holland

It seems that I have turned into a major convert to the H! by Henry Holland collection at Debenhams. Last week I was lusting over the capes and satchels from the A/W'10 collection. Next week i'm going for a sneak preview of the high summer collection. And today i'm turning to the H! range for outfits that will make me look festival fabulous!

Festivals are synonymous with summer, and despite my dislike of tents and mud, even I get involved! This year I will be rocking out whilst sporting a monochrome floral jumpsuit with oversized shades (for a touch of easy glam) and if it gets really warm, this denim dress over my swimsuit and a big straw hat:

Jumpsuit: £40

Denim dress: £28

My choices from the H! range are very much influenced by my boobs, otherwise I would want even more from the current collection: possibly because it is a youth range, many of the dresses and play suits are cupped, and these are aimed at someone with a generally smaller bust. If that's you then your possibilities from the H! range for looking festival chic are pretty much endless:

I love the first floral bustier dress and it would look perfect for a sexy festival look teamed with gladiator sandals and oversized shades. I also love alot of the retro-looking swimwear from the collection, which is why i've included the swimsuit: fingers crossed we have a summer that's hot enough that we can wear swimwear as outerwear this year!

Love, Tor x

Late alert: Urban Outfitters sample sale

OK so I know i'm late to the table with this, and now it only really applies to anyone central London based, but the Urban Outfitters sample sale is on from now until 5pm. I didn't want to direct you to something rubbish so I didn't post this earlier (I dont generally post sample sales unless I know you wont be wasting your time going) but I popped down in my lunch hour and picked up some nice stuff: although it was hot and sticky and clothes were strewn everywhere. Pretty much mayhem really!!

Here are the prices I can remember, so you have an idea of what you're going down for:
Sunglasses; 50p
Hats/Scarves/Gloves: £4
Dresses; £15
Shoes; £5 (unbranded) £10 (branded)
Jersey tops; £5
Jeans; £15
Hair stuff; £1
Leggings: £3

I got a lovely fur hat, some gorgeous cream and tan brogues for a fiver, a couple of sequinned head bands and a pair of leggings. The sizes were generally pretty small (either labelled "small" or "8") but there was some other sizes. There were some great looking cheap Monday jeans and some lovely lightweight summer jersey dresses, as well as some quality wool coats which were being mostly ignored (I can't remember the price of these!)

They also had a massive selection of their gifty-type stuff and homewares, almost all of which was a pound. I got some "love" book ends, rolling stone ice cube tray (don't ask!) and bird shaped pegs all for a pound each!

I'll update this post with pictures later, but wanted to get it up quick, so that if you're close by you can check it out! (Update: Updated!!)

Love, Tor xx

PS - They were advertising this as for men too, but aside from one dodgy jumper I didn't see a single piece of menswear - it must've all gone this morning!

Simply Be: It's getting hot in here!

This week I was given the opportunity to try something from Simply Be and I opted to choose from their new (gorgeous looking) hot tropics range. Which, given the hot hot weather all of a sudden, has turned out to be a pretty good idea!

I always knew of Simply Be as that plus sized catelogue off the telly, so I was suprised to learn three new things about them this week: 1) They have a website, which actually has some pretty lust-worthy stuff on it. 2) With their new collections, such as hot tropics, they are starting their sizing at a size 12, so they are targeting normal real women, not just plus sized ones. 3) Simply Be and Simply Yours (of super-bras fame) are sister companies. When you look at the names though, I could've worked that one out for myself!!

I opted for the butterfly tunic and a jungle maxi dress, as well as a more versitile boyfriend blazer with studded lapels. Here's how they look:

I'm in love with every single piece. The clothes are cut for curves, so there's lots of room for my boobs and each piece clings in all the right places. The floaty maxi dress is my favourite of the three, and is going to be perfect for hot summer nights out, and the butterfly dress teamed with sandals will take me for a day on the beach. The blazer will come into its own in Autumn, where I can team it with dresses and boots or use it to jazz up jeans.

I can heartily recommend checking out Simply Be if you're looking for clothes to flatter curves, regardless of whether your plus sized or not. I hadn't ever considered the brand before, but now i'll definitely be checking out what they get in stock!

Love, Tor xx

Question of the day: Can curvy girls wear hareem pants?

I don't have the best legs in the world: they're short and curvy. From the knee down I am prepared to share them with the world, but from the knee up? Forget about it! This makes dressing when it's really warm difficult. I don't want to wear dresses without leggings but it's too warm to wear leggings. And jeans? Way too warm! So I got it in my head that the answer to my problems was a nice slouchy pair of cropped hareem pants. However i've tried on hundreds of pairs in Topshop and Zara and can't find a single flattering pair. Front pleats made my hips look big, the waists were too high or too low, the bump clung and sagged at the same time (not a good look!!) The Topshop denim ones were the worst of all and looking at them in the mirror made me want to start crying in the changing room. I'd read articles on the subject before and decided to agree with the experts for a change: hareem pants weren't for curvy girls. And then, whilst looking for leggings, I found these one's in H&M:

I honestly didn't think I was going to find a pair of hareem trousers that looked good on my body, but I love these. They're slouchy and comfortable, will be perfect for work or play, and they're light enough that I can wear them all summer long. I think they look good because they have no pleating and fit like normal slim-leg trousers in silhouette. The only traditional hareemfeature is the dramatically lowered crotch. These are hareem trousers for everyone!!

H&M price points seem suprisingly cheap at the moment too: The trousers were £14.99, the slouchy tees i'm wearing in both pics were just £2.99 and the sequinned cardigan was £29.99. I especially love the trousers with the stripey Tshirt and think it will look amazing teamed with one of my many hundreds of blazers. I also love the sequinned cardigan, so glam! I can't wait to try out my new outfits!

Love, Tor xx

And the winner is.....

Using the old tried and tested names out of a hat method, the winner of the Polaroid sunglasses competition is commenter number 14; that's Louise! I don't have any contact details for you Louise, so drop me an email with your address so I can pop your gorgeous sunnies into the post. And congratulations! I haven't taken mine off all week!

In other news, sorry for my rubbish posting record over the past week, however I am working on a post reviewing some of the lovely new summer collection from Simply Be, which I will be posting tonight. After that I promise my usual daily posting routine will resume (My mum emailed me this morning because she was worried about the lack of posting - definitely time to get back to work!)

I hope you're all having a lovely week and enjoying the gorgeous sunshine!

Love, Tor xx

Everything you need in nude from ASOS Black

I first saw the ASOS Black collection in the metro about a month ago, so i'm probably really late with this, but it only landed on the site this week, and I am absolutely obsessed with it. I want every single piece. I want to spend my summer hopping from garden party to garden party so that I get to wear them all! To labour the point, i'm showing you every single piece I covet: that includes almost every single dress in the whole collection!

Given how much detail is on each dress I think the price point is really reasonable too: ranging from around £75 to £150.

Aside from the flashes of colour in the top row (the powder blue in the top row is the colour I want for my bridesmaids incidentally) the collection is really nude heavy. Ironic then, that they call the collection ASOS Black! Its an incredibly feminine delicate range of dresses which could be teamed with tonal accessories for smart occasions, or toughened up with darker heels and heavy costume jewellery. The collection has a really chic couture feel, that I am completely in love with. I know i'm gushing but I just want to surround myself in the fluffy texture of it - this is probably because i'm looking at this at the same time as i'm thinking about wedding dresses! Still, I think this is a really strong collection from ASOS. I don't think it will stay in stock for long!

Love, Tor xx

Debenhams A/W press day: If the sun isn't coming out can it be winter already??

Sometimes I have to ruminate over new ranges before I can decide if I like them or not: this was not the case with the Debenhams A/W10 collection, which I am completely in love with!

Most suprising for me was the Henry Holland range. I liked the initial collection, but impartially: I could see that it was perfect for young trendy gals about town, but couldn't envisage wearing it myself. This time though, I want every single piece! The looks remind me very much of Luella, there are some beautiful satchels (perfect for that "back to school" feeling we all get in September) and there is a gorgeous cape that I am determined to make mine as soon as it hits the shops! The youth element remains, with knitted ear muffs that look like headphones, but it's somehow cooler this time round.

I'm obsessed with luggage. Someone that only goes on holiday a couple of times a year shouldn't own more than five suitcases. But I do. And I loved this new collaboration of Jasper Conran at Tripp luggage. (Just realised I spelt that wrong in the graphic above! oops!) The purple snakeskin would be the obvious choice, but I really loved the distressed brown leather: it had a well-loved unisex feel which I really related to, and also means you can have the other half carry your bags without too much whinging (my favourite suitcase has big babushka dolls on it, and if it gets too heavy i'm on my own!)

The Red Herring collection was gorgeous and dark and gothic: there was lots of velvet and sumptuous fabrics, and the burgandy velvet dress in the foreground is a particular favourite: I expect we will see this all over the Christmas party "must-have" pages! I've said it before, but i'm really glad hem lines are dropping; I ordered my first maxi dress this week, and I have everything crossed the length works on me, because I think they look phenomenal.

As always (because it's Debenhams) the prices were really affordable. I've already ear marked that Henry Holland cape as next years replacement for my winter coat. And there were loads of accessories options I wished were in store now! Overall, one of my favourite press days so far. What do you guys think?

Love, Tor

Sex and the City 2: What SATC girl are you?

OK, i'm prepared to admit it and i'm not sorry! I love Sex and the City and i'm really excited about seeing the next movie: I don't care if its a bt cheesy or if people think the franchise has sold out. I want to know what happens to my four favourite New Yorkers next, and I want to see what Carrie will be wearing.

Everyone relates to one or another of the SATC characters and one time or another: and I relate to Carrie. I also covet her wardrobe in ways I cannot comprehend, so much so that sometimes it makes my tummy hurt. And because this morning i've watched the trailer twice and i'm getting super excited about 'C' day (that's Carrie day) I thought it was the perfect day to share our Sex and the City stories (because i'm sure you all love it too!), look at pictures of Carrie looking perfect, and I want to know which character you most relate to; not everyone's a Carrie girl (My sister hates her, she says she's pathetic!)

I already have the day I will be going to see the movie pencilled into my diary: the date is set, the post-movie analysis cocktail bar chosen, the outfit planned. And because I have weddings on the brain at the minute, I couldn't resist sharing the picture of the girls in full wedding regalia!

Sigh - The Vivienne Westwood wedding dress is the dream, but sadly won't be the reality! Expect a full review of the new movie as soon as i've seen it: i'm sure there'll be lots to talk about! Will you be going to see it too?

Love, Tor xx

Short post: Reebok Easytones and Kelly Brook!

Kelly Brook seems to appear regularly on the pages of this here blog: she always seems to be advertising something i'm writing about! Kelly is the celebrity face of the new Reebok easy tones, and has allocated some time exclusively to triallists to ask her questions about her health, fitness, and beauty routines: and i'm opening up the floor to you! Do you guys have any questions you'd like me to pose to Kelly? Just pop them in the comments and i'll post the full results when the interview takes place.

Speaking of the Easytones, here is my latest update on my progress. The shoes have loosened as i've worn them, and i'm no longer worried about them being too tight (which is brilliant!) My exercise routine has changed a little, as i'm cycling more, and I think the trainers work better when your running and using the balance technology, however I have noticed a slight difference in my calves, which are firmer and more muscly. They aren't a miracle solution (I don't think there's any such thing) but I am still as impressed as I was in my last post: I think just wearing them is a great motivator and gives you a mental incentive to get out and exercise more.

Love, Tor xx

Artisan jewellery: Novica gives Etsy a run for their money!

I was really delighted last week when I got an email drawing my attention to the handmade jewellery from Novica. What with my obsession with the handmade jewellery section on Etsy, a website where I could buy handmade jewellery straight from the creators from all around the world was bound to attract my attention.

The concept of the site is actually really clever, and they cite themselves as one of the leading fair trade websites. They work with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents: there are artists from Thailand, Mexico and Indian who work with silver and precious and semi precious stones.

I was especially in love with with the necklace section (I am known for my love of wearing at least 3 necklaces at any given time) and there is plenty to tempt you. Some of the designs are really simple, which I find myself attracted to, but there are also some really over the top ornate designs. They also sell artisan furniture and wookword, which although isn't to my taste is really beautiful, and you can really tell that it's good quality.

Novica kindly offered me a $150 dollar gift voucher so I could try the site, and I have ordered beautiful necklaces for my sisters (as bridesmaids presents) which I am really excited about arriving: this is the only downside of the site. Delivery takes 18 days plus (which is understandable given the pieces are being shipped half way around the world) but means that this isn't a great site to order things from if you're in a hurry. But if you're looking for something beautiful and original (all the pieces are bespoke and made by hand) then I would recommend checking it out!

Love, Tor

Competition: Win a pair of Polaroid sunglasses

I've been a bit obsessed with sunglasses lately: cheap ones, expensive ones, i've tried on them all! So I was really excited when Polaroid asked if i'd like to try a pair from their new range. And even more excited when they said I could have a second pair to give away to you guys!

The pair i'm giving away are from their catwalk chic collection, and are worth £65.99. They are the exact same pair as those I am showing and posing in above. They have a glossy black frame which is wider at the sides and the top, giving a movie star feel. The arms have a quilted effect complete with tiny silver Polaroid pieces: when I wore these yesterday the silver flecks kept catching the sun, making them quite literally eye catching. I love the shape of them: it's so distinctive, and actually manages to make my face look slimmer!

I knew Polaroid made sunglasses, of course, but I always saw them as practical ones, mainly targeted at men, so the new range took me by suprise: as well as the ones i'm giving away there are loads of other oversized lovelies, and some of the wire frame aviators are gorgeous.

As always, nothing too complicated needed to win: you just need to be a follower of the blog, and leave a comment below about your dream holiday destination (because we all need sunglasses for our imaginary holidays!) As always, the winner will be chosen at random from a hat.

Love, Tor x

Tell me something I don't need...

Do y'all remember Becky? That's her, up there! Well, back when this blog was funny and clever, Becky was the one that wrote the funny clever stuff. You see Becky is an extraordinary writer and an even more extraordinary artist (I don't understand most of it, but important people say she's magnificant!) She is also flat broke. I think its obligatory to be broke if you want to be a famous artist one day, so see this as a sign of her success! But Becky doesn't like the debt of doom very much so, genius that she is, has started a brand new blog and money making scheme all rolled into one: it's called tell me something I don't need.

Becky is selling her life on ebay (including every single edition of Vogue from the last 10 years. Yes, she kept them all!) She's selling her stuff, but keeping the memories, by telling the stories of all the things she's selling in heart warming and very funny blog posts. It's early days, but i'm quite sure that with all the stories and all the stuff, you could aquire everything you need to be happy forever from Becky alone, over the next six months.

Help my best friend be debt free by the time she turns 30, and buy her stuff. But if you're broke too then don't worry: visit the blog and share the stories and the memories: they come for free!

PS - Check back later today, when I will be announcing a new competition.

Love, Tor xx

In which it is my birthday and I get engaged!

Yesterday I turned 26 and my boyfriend of over 4 years asked me to marry him. I couldn't be happier.

I don't want to tell you why Mike is the most wonderful man in the world, and about my initial crazy ideas for our wedding (but I do know flamingos will dance on the lawn!)

At the end of the day, this is a fashion blog, and you don't come here for my romantic, often vomit-inducing, fantasies. However if you are interested in my wedding plans, i've started a new blog: fabfrocksgetsmarried, for much the same reason I started this one: so I can think and talk about my passions whenever I want, without driving those around me absolutely crazy!! You'll find the soppy proposal story there. I do know that there, like here, etsy will fast become my best friend (a friend has already emailed me cake toppers shaped like owls!) and I know that no matter what happens on the way, marrying Mike will be the happiest day of my life. (Cue sick buckets!)

From a fashion point of view, I can't tell you how glad I am that I decided to paint my nails yesterday morning! And for those of you that want to know about the ring, it's a vintage green saphire with diamonds set around it. The band has been engraved with hearts.

Love, Tor x

Video break: Frock Me with TKMaxx

I'm so glad Frock Me is back on our screens: it's perfect Sunday morning hangover TV! Each episode is themed to a certain trend (last week it was prints but my fav so far has been military) which keeps is really topical and its one of those shows that could be too achingly cool to watch, but is served with a massive dose of self-irony and fun that actually makes it watchable, and the hosts likeable.

I'm suffering for a birthday hangover this morning, so instead of rabbiting on and hurting my brain, I thought we'd have a video break. Here's some of my favourite clips from the series so far:


Sorry for the lazy post, a fuller one will come later, filled with exciting news (well, exciting for me at least!) In the meantime isn't Paloma Faith (in the first video) gorgeous?? I sense a massive girl crush coming on! I also have a bit of an inappropriate crush on Henry Holland, but I think mostly I want him to be my friend: I bet he knows how to have a rocking night out, and gives great fashion advice. I bet he's really bitchy too - and I do love a good bitch every now and again!

As is obligatory, here comes the credit: Frock Me with TK Maxx is on Sundays on Channel 4. For more information check out www.facebook.com/tkmaxx

Love, Tor x

Over exposure: I don't want to touch your bump!

It could be that my new job means i'm thinking about it all day, and it could be that tomorrow's birthday is making me reassess my lifeplan, but it seems that there are pregnant women everywhere: on the streets , in the shops, and now in our favourite magazines!
Claudia Schiffer has bared all for the cover of the June issue of Vogue and "done a Demi", showing off her bump whilst using a strategically placed hand to cover her lady bits. So has reality TV nobody Chanelle Hayes (whom I can't bring myself to use a photo of on this blog) for Closer magazine. The list of celebrities having babies at the minute is unprecedented: was there some motherhood-is-cool memo sent out that I missed??

The photo of Claudia above is by Karl Lagerfeld for the magazine which is a celebration of her career as a model and has the theme A Celebration of Femininity. I have to say that she looks stunning, pregnant or not, and it's hard to believe she's about to have her third kid. It's almost 20 years to the month since her first Vogue cover, and I cannot get over the fact that she was looking this gorgeous whilst I was learning to read, yet she hasn't got a spot of cellulite 20 years on: the gene pool is a cruel mistress!!

I think the miracle of birth is a wonderful beautiful thing, but i'm sick of seeing mammoth bumps everywhere I go, and the fact that its infiltrating my news sources is only making it worse, so this is a direct message to The Daily Mail: please give us a day off. A pregnant celebrity going shopping, going to work, wearing a nice dress, or eating dinner isn't news. So don't print it- you wouldn't if they weren't knocked up! Sigh...rant over.

Love, Tor xx

Do you have yummy hair?

Hey guys,
Yesterday I went out with Hannah (London Rose) and Amy (Lipgloss86), and some of the lovely Aussie girls to find and pap girls that were having yummy hair days, and spread the Aussie Angels love!

Spreading yummy hair days magic outside yummys cafe - It was funny at the time!

I seemed to make a beeline for all of the ladies with coloured hair, and by the end of the day everyone could guess which girls I was going to want to photograph: some of these beautiful redheads almost made me reconsider being blonde, although I also discovered some new shades of blonde i'm desperate to try, so there'll be no drastic changes just yet!

The girl in the top left corner has the best hair I have ever seen, and the girl in the top right has what will be my next shade of blonde: it's gorgeous!! I couldn't believe there were so many girls looking so fabulous on a Sunday morning: i'm lucky if I can get out of bed and put a brush through my hair! Having said that, it's only when you're really looking at people's heads that you notice how much bad hair there is about: not that you can really judge on a Sunday (that would just be cruel!)

Are you having a gorgeous hair day? I'm not, as i'm trying to grow out my fringe and i'm absolutely hating the way it looks: I say at least 3 times a day that i'm having it cut, but I still persevere! If you have hair you want to share then send me your pictures: it would be soo fun to do a readers edition of the yummy hair days hunt; plus it means I could covet new hair styles from the comfort of my own computer!

Love, Tor xx

Louise Gray for ASOS in the sale!!

Morning guys,

With just two days until my birthday (i'm turning 26 and feeling old!) I decided to spend an hour trawling the internet looking for something special to spend my birthday money on; I have to make myself spend it on something lovely, or it gets frittered away on nothing so easily!

Whilst browsing through asos I turned to the designer collaboration section and noticed that the colourful textured Louise Gray dresses I had coveted a while ago had been reduced to half price making them a very reasonable (they were reasonably price to start with!) £30 to £45.

Left to right: Fringe dress (was £80 now £42) Stripe sleeve dress (was £80 now £42)

Left to right: Panel dress (was £75 now £30) Tshirt (was £45 now £18)

I absolutely love the top two dresses, particularly the purple one with the fringing and the green panels. It's made of 100% silk, so it will feel like a dream, and I really love T shirt shape dresses: this would look amazing dressed up or down. The yellow dress is also appealing, particularly it's awesome dennis the menace sleeves! Again this is 100% silk, but I find it a bit off putting that you can see the models black slip underneath the dress: maybe with a nude slip (and if I promise to be really careful with the obviously delicate fabric!) I could make this dress work for me. I'm thinking of picking up one of them as my birthday treat, it's just hard knowing which one to choose!!

Have a great Monday!

Love, Tor xx

Topshop sunglasses: I want a pair in every colour!

Hey guys,

Summer is getting closer and closer (it has to be true!) and there are certain things that you can't live without in the magic summer months: ice cream, bronzer, pims and lemonade, and sunglasses. I've needed my sunglasses twice this week (sadly only whilst driving) but I know as the weeks go on i'm going to need them more and more. In June and July a day where I don't get to wear my sunglasses is a bad day. So when I went to Topshop this morning I was like a kid in a sweetshop at their sunglasses rack: they come in every size and colour, they have great details, and even better not a single pair cost more than £20!

I love sunglasses but can't be trusted with designer pairs as much as I lust after them: I have a habit of losing them/sitting on them/breaking the arms, and i've never had a pair for more than a couple of months. Must try harder!

I like to mix and match my sunglasses to my outfits, so it's really exciting to be able to get such a great range on the high street at really affordable prices. I love the 1950s shape and colour of the peach plastic pair in the top left hand corner. I'm also obsessed with the cream imitation wayfarers on the bottom row, although sadly the colour didn't work on me: it made my skin look drained. On someone with olive tones though I think they would be perfect! There's something for everyone, and I think its a great way to update last years summer wardrobe; especially if, like me, your sunglasses from last year are long gone, and you need new ones anyway!

Hope you're having a good weekend.

Love, Tor x

Fabfrocks reviews: J by Jasper Conran Swimsuit

I always struggle to find swimwear to fit, but I love to swim both in my local pool and especially when i'm away on holiday. So as you can imagine, I was delighted when Debenhams asked me if i'd like to review one of their Designers at Debenhams pieces. There was so much to choose from, but sadly their two pieces in the ranges don't include my cup size, so I opted for a simple black one piece from J by Jasper Conran instead.

I loved the simple black colour (I mostly opt for black swimwear, working under the illusion that it's slimming) but with the added details of the one shoulder and the bow. The fit is really good and the tummy control works, but doesn't feel uncomfortable. I liked the bow in the flesh, though it looked a little small against my chest.

My one issue with the suit was that I just couldn't keep it up! I was hoping the suit would come with a small detachable strap so that I wouldn't be worrying about it all the time (especially when i'm swimming) but it didn't and I really struggled to stop the top sliding down on one side: even a particularly bouncy walk could lead to boobie exposure! The fit on the hips and bum was really good though, and I think that the top would have been fine on boobs that needed less support: this was probably more an error with my choosing process than anything else!

This certainly isn't a swimsuit i'll ever be able to swim in, but for posing around the pool on days when i'm feeling too self conscious for my usual two piece, it will be perfect.

Love, Tor x

PS - You can read a nice little interview with me, in which I don't make myself look too stupid, over on the Qype website, as part of their series of blogger interviews.

Reader discount: Delightful Muddle Vintage

I love vintage shopping (in fact i'm wearing one of my favourite vintage coats today) I love wearing something that you can be sure noone else is wearing (not something that happens when you pull on your favourite Topshop dress). So you can imagine how pleased I was to discover Delightful Muddle Vintage: well organised good quality vintage at affordable prices from the comfort of your living room.

Delightful Muddle Vintage is about to celebrate its first birthday. The company was originally set up by the current owners grandmother in the 1940s, but has now been operating online for 12 months. There is no focus on designer items but wonderful wearable pieces that are as relivent now as they were when they were made; some of the dresses are beautiful, and because they aren't recognised designer-vintage labels, they're really affordable too.

Unusually, the store also offers menswear, so you can glam up your boyfriend at the same time as shopping for yourself! And the site has a bargain corner where all items are £10 or less: perfect for a little treat when you're not feeling flush!

Delightful Muddle Vintage are offering FabFrocks readers a MASSIVE 25% off. You simply need to enter the code delightfulfrocks at the checkout. How exciting is that?? I bet you can guess what i'll be doing this afternoon! (hint: it involves online shopping!)

Love, Tor xx

PS - The photos are by Ruth Allen and Zoe Escritt

Etsy obsession of the week: Triccycat's jewels

This week etsy obsession ties in with another of my obsessions: leather. It's the one thing I couldn't live without. I love the way it feels, the way it smells. And Triccycat's jewels immediately appealed to the leather (and handbag!) lover in me.

Looking at these you know you're looking at real craftsmanship: the bags are built to last for generations. Each bag is all hand-cut, hand-stitched, buckstitched and hand-dyed. They aren't cheap (the bag with the handle is $545) but you know you're making an investment in a piece that will last forever, and the styles and designs are timeless.

It's the bags that excited me the most, but the shop also does some really lovely leather notepads and stationary (and we all know how I feel about notebooks and pens!) And the rugged leather journal (above) is only $40: much more affordable!

I hope you're all having a wonderful bank holiday! As is the tradition in our fair isles, lets all go and have BBQ's in the rain!

Love, Tor xx

Primark pick of the week: the changing room edition

I think i've mentioned before that the Primark on Oxford Street opens at 8.30, and that if you get there when they open you will find you have the pleasure of having the shop to yourself: no queues, no pushing, and no mess (because the primark fairies have spend the night hanging everything back up!) It also means that you can walk straight into the changing rooms: this is a rare treat when normally you have to fill your basket and take a chance (unless you have the time and patience to queue for over an hour for the changing room!)

To take advantage of my early morning opportunity, this weeks Primark pick is a changing room edition: here are my five favourite things I tried on when I went to Primark for some very early morning shopping.

White dress, £9. Floral blazer, £13. Lilac polka tunic, £6. I fell in love with this jacket as soon as I saw it (I wasn't going to buy anything but couldn't resist and picked it up) I love the pattern, the fit, and it was an absolute bargain! Technically I know i'm not allowed to buy any more jackets, but this teeny weeny little one won't hurt....

Polka dot dress, £13. Floral bow dress, £11. The polka dot dress fit like a glove and was the perfect balance of smart and casual: this would look great for work on really warm days! The floral dress looked better on than it has photographed, and had lots of really interesting strap details at the back.

As you're reading this, I am in Paris (oh the joy of post scheduling) and hopefully the weather is glorious and i'm having a lovely day. I will be doing that wearing my new jacket....

Love, Tor xx