August 2012 in pictures....

Hi guys,
Normally I do my monthly round ups with iphone pictures, but since I got my new Nikon DSLR at the end of last month, I've barely taken a single iphone picture: I'm just too obsessed with using this camera! So instead, here's what I've been up to this month in big shots:

Shopping. Stocking up on knitwear from Primark (Love this 'Love' jumper!) and breaking my 'no costume jewellery' rule in Topshop.....


Remembering that I live in a really beautiful city (Don't you find having people visit you makes you view where you live in a whole new light?)....


Growing an unnaturally large baby.....

Visiting the beach with my nephew, who rode his first ride, and couldn't get enough of them!....

Having delicious BBQ in spite of the rain ....

Combined with eating my weight in ice cream....And burgers....(So a lot of eating then!)....

This month has mostly been spent visiting with both of our families, preparing for the baby (we had that 'Oh my god, he's coming soon' moment) and visiting the beach more often than we expected: whenever people come to visit us, the first place they want to go is the beach, which is luckily only a 20 minute drive away. I've also had a couple of fun, if exhausting trips to London. It's been a fairly quiet month, but a good one! What have you been up to? Has it been a good August?

Love Tor xx

More from Primark's A/W Campaign: The party edition!

Hi guys,
You guys couldn't get enough of Primark's A/W casual campaign images, and if you loved those, you're going to love what Primark have coming up for the party season!

I never spend a great deal of money on my party dresses: if I'm going to buy something designer or high end I want it to be something I can get a lot of wear out of. And as party frocks are something I tend to only wear once or twice, Primark is the perfect place to buy them from.

They have gone overboard with the sequins and the glitter (my favourite things, when it comes to getting ready for a night out) and it still amazes me that you can buy a whole outfit, including jewellery and shoes, for less than £50. And you'd look phenomenal!  God bless Primark, and their truly reasonable prices. Here are some of my picks from what they've got coming up:




Picture 1: Sequin skater dress £20 beg Oct.
Picture 2: Sequin mini £12 mid Sep, Stud shirt £13 end Oct, Gem bow black £20 beg Sep.
Picture 3: Sequin short £16 beg Oct, Sequin jacket £25 beg Oct, Gem bow platform nude beg Sept.
Picture 4: Lace dress £17 beg Oct. 

I need that sequinned flapper-style skirt and the metallic sequinned blazer in my life immediately. And if I had the legs to pull off shorts, those matching sequinned shorts would be joining them!

What do you think? Would you buy an occasion frock from Primark? If not, where do you shop when you need something new for a party?

Love Tor xx

When your life style changes, so does your style!

Hi guys,
Over the past couple of months, my life has gone through some pretty monumental changes. Firstly I no longer work full time in the city: I freelance from home instead. Which is keeping me busy! But means I've gone from wanting to look fashionable every single day, to having days where there seems to be little point taking off my pajamas. After all, blogging and writing from your sofa in your PJs is living the dream, right?

Secondly is the more obvious physical change: I'm now over 6 months pregnant and look like I'm smuggling a space hopper under my jumper. Which makes wanting to throw on a pretty dress and heels to flit around town seem like a distant memory.

But I still LOVE fashion. It's my passion. Hell, it's my job! I'm just having to navigate a new style that suits my current lifestyle. But when you've worked for years to develop a sense of personal style that you love, that's not as easy as it sounds. I don't have any tips to share on this yet, but here's a round up of the personal progress I've made so far:

-My extensive jacket collection isn't going anywhere. Oh how I love a well fitted blazer! Always have, always will. On days when I'm lounging around the house wearing just jeans and a tee, I know that I can throw on one of my beloved blazers and effortlessly leave the house looking a little more put together. Blazers also have the added bonus of making you look leaner: perfect for those often-occurring fat days!

- Ponytails and buns are now part of my life. When I commuted to work I would set my alarm early so that I could straighten my hair, every single day. Now? Well I still don't like to wear my hair loose unless it's been straightened (It just looks frizzy) and still straighten it a couple of times a week. But on those days in between I'm learning to appreciate the look of a sleek ponytail or messy topknot. It's not lazy, it's just a new style!

- I'm finally embracing jeans. This blog isn't called Fabfrocks for nothing: I love a good dress! But dresses just aren't that practical for everyday wear when you're spending those days in the house. So jeans have entered my life: and because of that I have a new-found appreciation for stylish tops, blouses, and embellished sweaters. Just because I'm wearing jeans doesn't mean I'll ever team them with hooded tops!

- Thank God for pumps and slipper shoes. Now is the time to embrace flat shoes it seems: they've never been more on trend, and there are loads of options available! So whilst I'm temporarily pushing my heels to one side I'm still making sure that my comfortable alternative footwear is as stylish and fashion forward as possible.

Have you gone through any recent lifestyle changes? And how did that affect your sense of style? I'd love to hear how you dealt with it, and any quick styling tricks you came up with! And work-from-homers: tell me, what do you wear when you're working from home?! 

Love Tor x

P is for Pandora

Hi guys,
Now as you all know, I am a massive fan of chunky costume jewellery. The chunkier the better! But one of my new year's resolutions was also that I wouldn't be buying any more cheap high street jewellery (no more green fingers, no green wrists) and so far, apart from the few small slip ups, I've managed to stick to it.

Instead I've been buying less pieces of jewellery, but making sure they are better quality. Jewellery that's built to last! That means that most of the time chunky jewellery is out of the question: who can afford good quality jewellery that is as bulky and heavy as some of my favourite costume pieces? It's just bad maths! So instead, when it comes to necklaces and bracelets, I have taken to buying more slimline, but still gorgeous and interesting pieces and wearing them stacked high and layered. These Pandora Bracelet are perfect for that, and because they're like the modern version of a charm bracelet, you can add to them to make them more bulky as you go along.

Here are some of my favourites:
Best of British bracelet, £205
Double woven black leather and silver bracelet, £45
Silver and 18ct gold lock bracelet, £535
Complete faith bracelet, £295
Tea for two bracelet, £170

What kind of jewellery are you wearing at the moment? Do you wear costume jewellery or 'real' jewellery? And finally, there's that timeless jewellery question: are you a silver or a gold kind of gal?

Love Tor xx

*This is a sponsored post 

Fabfrocks at Home: My walk-in wardrobe

Hi guys,
It has always been a fantasy of mine to have a walk-in wardrobe. A room where I could keep all of my clothes and accessories, plan outfits, a relaxing fashion space that was just for me. So when we moved into a house that had a box room which could only be accessed from the main bedroom my first thought wasn't the same as everyone elses ("nursery!"). No: my first thought was '"wardrobe!" I promptly gave my husband full reign of the built-in wardrobe in the bedroom, and my mission for this weekend was to a) finally unpack all my clothes (it's only been 3 months!) and b) set about creating my dream.

The main thing was that I wanted to turn the room, effectively a blank canvas, into a wardrobe on a tight budget. So I utilized the big wardrobe, chest of drawers, and dressing table that we already had from our old flat. I then brought an £8.99 hanging mirror from The Range which I've hung over my wardrobe door, storage boxes from John Lewis for my handbags (£9 each) and from Asda for my make up and jewellery (£4 each).




Finally I wanted a clever storage solution for all my shoes, in a way that I could see them and the pairs I wear most often could be on display. And a comfy chair, so that I could view my domain for hours without hurting my back. So we hit some second hand furniture stores and picked up some shelves for the shoes for £20. Sadly I couldn't find an armchair I liked, but the hunt is still on!


The plan was that turning this space into a workable dressing room shouldn't cost more than £100: I managed to achieve my goal and have only spent £65 so far, including the hooks and trinket boxes and other bits and pieces I picked up. That means I have £35 left to find that elusive armchair. Pretty impressive, even if I do say so myself, and not bad for a weekend's work!!

Now I will admit this isn't quite the walk in I always dreamed of. What I would really like is an open floor to ceiling wardrobe across one whole wall, so that all of my clothes were always on display. But as we're renting this place, fitting something that big to the walls just isn't feasible. And so, for now, this is my version of the dream! I'm really looking forward to getting dressed tomorrow morning....

Love Tor x

Say hello to Somerset by Alice Temperley: Coming soon!

Hi guys,
Another day, another look book, but this one has left me so excited that it's made me feel a little tingly! Alice Temperley's new diffusion collection for John Lewis launches on 4th September, and it looks great. This is the kind of designer collaboration that gets me excited: not celebs playing dress up, but designers I wish I could own at considerably more affordable prices!

Don't take my word for how covetable it all is though, check out some highlights from the look book, and then watch the new ad for the collection, which isn't out yet, but really does do the collection justice. It has the whimsical but grown up feel that, for me, is the Alice Temperley signature. I predict that my credit card is about to take a real bashing.....


Look one: Black double layer lace maxi dress, £249. 70s hat, £tbc. 
Look two: Ivory contrast lace trim silk dress, £160. Black leather shoulder bag, £255. Black pony foxglove boots, £195. 
Look three: Ivory lace collar silk blouse, £95. Black high waisted trousers, £99. Black skinny leather belt, £40. 
Look four: Grey shearling coat, £999. Black and mesh beaded dress, £199. Black 'hazel' heels, £140. 

Here are some of my favourite pieces from the collection, and how I would style them up and create an outfit from them, using some pieces from the rest of the new season John Lewis range.

I went for a casual day time look, because I need to justify buying these lovely designer pieces when 90% of my day will involve pushing a pram and attending mum and baby groups! But frankly, I just can't wait to get my hands on the Somerset collection. Every single piece looks amazing:


Black 'wisteria' suede court shoes, Somerset collection, £140
Black 'aroma' 70s hat, Somerset collection, £tbc
Red 'clover' leather travel clutch, Somerset collection, £135 
Black and beige jacquard knit jumper, Somerset collection, £89
Clinique long last lipstick, JohnLewis.com,£16.50
Made pindwa ingi bangles, JohnLewis.com, £30
7 for all mankind straight leg jeans, JohnLewis.com, £180
Swarovski crystal pendant, JohnLewis.com, £65

The Somerset collection launches exclusively instore at John Lewis from 4th September. What do you think of the collection? And will you be heading to your nearest John Lewis store to get your hands on any of it?

Love Tor xx

Matalan A/W Look book:New season trends

Hi guys,
I always get excited when new season look books arrive through my front door. I love planning my new season wardrobe, and seeing what trends are going to be everywhere as soon as the weather turns a little cooler.

The Matalan look book is divided into six sections: what Matalan considers to be the key trends for this season. They are: Gothic Glam, Masculine, CyberJam (You can see my take on the CyberJam trend here) Heritage, 60s Gamine, and Wild Craft.

My two favourite trends from this look book are Gothic Glam and 60s Gamine. I want to look like an off duty 60s model during the day, and a Studio 54-loving groupie at night....well, a girl can dream! Here are some of my favourite looks from the book:

Don't you think Matalan have upped their game?! I'm really impressed both with the look book, and the stuff I saw instore when I popped in last week. Really trend led, well cut, wonderfully affordable! What's not to like?!

Do you remember the style challenge I took part in for Matalan last week? Well, this is now live on their site, along with takes on the same trends from other bloggers. Check it out here! I'd love to know what you think of all the looks!

Love Tor xx

Beauty: Fancy nails for beginners!

Hi guys,
Nail art is officially the current 'big thing' in beauty, so I'm told. If you have a steady hand and an artistic eye then you can create just about any pattern you like on your nails, and I am totally in awe of what many other fashion and beauty bloggers can do with a nail art pen!

But if you have monkey paws, like me, and still want to do something lovely with your nails then you'll be delighted to learn that I have discovered the magic and the ease of nail glitter. And the best thing is it take less than 5 minutes to do, is almost impossible to get wrong, and it looks so damn fancy:



GOSH Nail Glitter in Silver £4.99 , Rimmel 5 in 1 base and top coat. (Both from Superdrug)

All you do is apply a slick of nail varnish to your nail (I used a clear base coat, but you could use any colour), dip the nail into the pot of glitter, then brush off the excess with a soft brush. I then let it settle for a couple of minutes, apply a top coat to seal the glitter in, and that is literally all there is to it!

I am reliably informed you can do so much more with this nail glitter, including using it to give yourself glittery french tips or create glittery patterns. But as I can't actually draw a straight line across my nails with nail varnish I'm happy to settle for full on metallic glittery talons!

Can you do nail art? Do you have any tips for getting it right, especially fool proof tips for the unskilled?! I'd love to hear them!

Love Tor x

My new A/W Boots....Yes, already!

Hi guys,
August is such an awkward month. The weather is too warm and sunny to really want to put serious thought into your new season wardrobe (let's face it, who wants to think about coats when you're still wearing flip flops?) The problem is, it's far too late to be buying summer clothes too: and the chances of finding any in store, apart from in the dregs of the sale, are minimal anyway.

But me? Well, I like to plan ahead. And Autumn/Winter is my favourite season of all; I love it when it's cold, I love seeing my breath when I'm walking. I love frost, and snow, and wrapping up warm. Bonfire night, and Halloween and Christmas. You get the idea!

So August is the time I start planning my new Autumn/Winter wardrobe. And this year, I've started with my boots first. Here are my two new pairs:



H by Hudson Horrigan boots, Sarenza, £170 
Georgia Rose Bilboq boots, Sarenza, £72.50 

I love both pairs! The H by Hudson boots will look amazing with either my favourite tan or black leather handbags, and they're so comfortable and versatile. The neon and sand Georgia Rose boots make more of a statement, but when you don't want to make an effort with your outfit, statement boots are just what you need!

Luckily my winter boots from last year (One pair of zebra print ankle boots, and one pair of studded black cowboy-style boots) are still going to be very much on-trend this winter! And I have my tall Bearpaw sheepskin boots for those really snowy days. I would like a pair of knee high riding boots (my nod to this season's Heritage trend) which I have my eyes open for but other than that, I think the winter boot box of my new season checklist can be well and truly ticked!

Love Tor xx

Daily wear: Matalan's CyberJam trend

Hi guys,
When Matalan got in touch asking if I'd like to take part in their latest style project, naturally I jumped at the chance! The challenge? To create an outfit from their new A/W CyberJam collection for under £50.

So what exactly is Cyberjam? To be fair, that's the exact same question I asked myself before I hit the shops and got started! But the trend is described as quite a futuristic look, lots of prints, metallics and bold colours. Shape-wise, peplum and a-line shapes added a feminine flair. Obviously I can't make these fitted shapes work for my body shape right now, but I loved all of the unusual futuristic prints and patterns. So here's what I did:




Blouse £18, Leopard print boots £16, Black feather necklace £7, Blue feather necklace £2: All at Matalan 
Longline vest and leggings, both Topshop. 

I'm slightly obsessed with both the print on this blouse, and the vibrant blue leopard print of the ankle boots. I always see other people wearing clashing prints and think it looks great, but my natural inclination is to make everything match. However for this look I decided clashing was essential! This blouse is going to be perfect for the upcoming months; it has such an unusual shape (I love these mullet tops!) and hides a multitude of sins!

What do you think? And what trends will you be wearing this autumn/winter - or am I still talking about it too soon!?

Love Tor xx

Hair: Taking a dip!

Hi guys,
My hair has been straight and blonde for years, and I like it, but sometimes it looks and feels a little, well, boring to me. I often flick through hair magazines and admire short assymetric bobs, gamine pixie crops, and
vibrant reds. All amazing looking, but all a step too far for me to try; I'm weirdly overprotective of my hair!

But the trend I've most been tempted by is the dip dye: it ticked all my boxes of making a really bold statement without completely changing my look, and best of all, if I really hated it I could always cut the ends out and noone would ever have to know! So after consulting with my hairdresser when I went for my highlights last Thursday, today I took the plunge....



I know it's a trend that's been around for a while (I'm always behind the times) but I really love it! I wanted it to be a mauve-y purple colour (my latest colour obsession: we've just done our living room this shade!) but apparently because it's going to fade after the first couple of washes, it's started out a little brighter than planned. I think it looks great...even if I do say so myself....

What do you think?! Have you tried anything new with your hair, or given the dip dye trend a go? Or are you tempted to make a hair change, but plucking up the courage to do it? Let's talk about hair!

Love Tor x

Warehouse A/W 2012 campaign: Perfect classic coats

Hi guys,
My coat addiction is a well-documented fact. As soon as the A/W stock starts landing in store my new coat(s) are the first thing I go looking for! My theory for lazy winter dressing is that it doesn't really matter what you're wearing underneath as long as the coat you're wearing on top looks fabulous.

But if, unlike me, you don't have or want a coat in every colour and style to go with every outfit and prefer instead to opt for something a little more classic that will go with everything then I heartily recommend you check out the new season coat drop from Warehouse:




Beige coat, £95, Warehouse
Stud detail coat, £120, Warehouse
Belted military coat, £90, Warehouse 
Faux fur cocoon coat, £90, Warehouse 

I particularly like the faux fur cocoon coat and the black masculine style coat with the stud embellishment on the shoulders: both nod perfectly to this season's coat trends whilst being versatile enough that you could wear them everyday, and with everything. The beige coat is also simple but statement-making, though I dislike the zip up front (It's just a personal preference!)

I will admit that Warehouse isn't a store I've ever thought to go coat shopping before: truth be told, I don't normally rate their style. But these classic coats  are gorgeous, and definitely worth popping in for!

Love Tor xx

Fabfrocks at home: The guide to making bunting

Hi guys,
I am what could officially be described as a bunting making addict. For my wedding I made 10 meters of the stuff. And now I'm at it again, with a bolt of gorgeous Cath Kidston fabric and a mission! 
Bunting is perfect for the summertime. You can use it to liven up your patio or garden if you're having a BBQ, and it looks great (and girly!) in bedrooms too! Even better, it's stupidly simple to make, and you could whip up a small strip in around an hour. Here's how:

-Draw a triangle on some cardboard and cut it out to use as a template, so all of your flags are the same size and shape. Your triangle can be as big or small as you want your flags to be: mine is 23cm long by 17cm wide for a point of reference.

-Pin the template to your fabric and cut out your triangular flags; cut out twice as many triangles as you would like final bunting flags.

-Take two triangles and place them together so that the pattern on each triangle is facing inwards (so that you can't see the pattern when you are sewing) Using a simple stitch, sew around the two long sides of each triangle.

- Turn the sewn up flag inside out, and iron flat: you should now have a bunting flag with your fabric pattern on either side. Repeat until you have as many flags as you need.

-Take a length of pretty ribbon and stitch your flags to it: I fold my ribbon in half and sew the bunting flags in between this, so that you can't see any of the stitches, or the scruffy ends of the flags. And that's it! Simple, easy, super-pretty bunting that will last forever and that you can use over and over again!

Have you ever made bunting? And did you find it easy? If you have any tips to improve on the way I'm currently making it, I'd love to hear them!

Love Tor xxx

Havaianas competition: And the winner is....

Hi guys,
You may remember that I have been participating in a great campaign with Havaianas where I created a video showing how I would style their sandals, then invited you to enter a competition showing me how you would style the sandals for a gorgeous summertime look.

Well, the competition has closed, so if you entered it's time for your excitement to reach fever pitch - because it's time to announce the winner! Thank you so much to all of you guys who submitted your fantastic entries, but sadly there can only be one!

I am very jealous of the winner who will receive a blog post dedicated to their look on the Havaianas blog, see their look on the Havaianas Facebook page, and their choice of three pairs of sandals from the Havaianas store! Here's the winning look:

And the winner, as chosen by the Havaianas team,  is....LucyB. Congratulations to Lucy, who will have an email from me waiting in her inbox telling her how to claim her prize! I can't wait to see which amazing sandals she'll choose!

If you're looking for a little sandal inspiration, I can heartily recommend the Freedom sandals in black: my favourite pair of the pairs I tried out (And coincidentally, also the pair featured in the winning mood board shown above)! I took the red versions with me to Venice and not only wore them around the pool, I also wore them sightseeing with my sundresses because they were so comfortable!


Thanks again for all your entries, and if you weren't the lucky winner then don't worry - there's another fantastic competition coming up soon!

Love Tor xx


Sponsored Post