Olympia le-Tan's Disney inspired clutch bags

If you can't appreciate a bit of novelty value in the run-up to Christmas, when can you? Having said that, if you are starting to feel that the British public have taken the crap festive jumper thing a bit too far, you might just prefer these Disney-themed embroidered clutch bags by Olympia Le Tan. I know they are a little more expensive than your average Primark jumper, but they are so much more chic, right?

The popularity of the designer's previous literary-inspired bags makes the collaboration with Disney an obvious choice. So if you want to inject a bit of grown-up Disney magic into your wardrobe (and have £1,105 to spare, or a fairy godmother) then head on over to www.net-a-porter.com.

Today's Soundtrack: Trapt – Bring It

Today's soundtrack is Bring It by Trapt. It would have been impossible to pick my favourite Trapt song as there really are too many, so I went with something from their most recent album, Reborn.

Formed in California in 1997, Trapt have six studio albums and countless tours under their belt. They are probably best known for 2003's Headstrong, but more than 10 years later they still have plenty of die-hard fans; enough to raise $50,000 via a crowdfunding campaign to produce their next album DNA.

As far as rock bands go, Trapt have a pretty commercial sound – I recently read somebody describe Headstrong as the nu-metal Eye Of The Tiger! – but I have a bit of a soft spot for them. I've been waiting a very long time for them to come to London and finally next week they'll be performing at Borderline. I'll have had the privilege of seeing some of my favourite bands several times this year, but to see one for the very first time, that has been in my life for so long, is pretty special.



www.trapt.com
@TRAPTOFFICIAL

Today's Soundtrack: Family Force 5 – Zombie

Are you having a Halloween party tonight? If so, make sure this song is on your playlist. Trust me, you won't regret it. It's particularly appropriate as I'm off to Backyard Cinema to watch Zombieland and party with the undead! Time to limber up and get in some cardio...

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is my favourite holiday. Pagan and religious roots aside, it's basically an excuse (should you need one) to be creative and go crazy with the costumes and makeup. And who doesn't enjoy drinking a cocktail or two dressed as a zombie bride?! Exactly. So here's a little bit of Halloween fashion inspiration, from the incredible Maleficent-inspired shoes by Christian Louboutin, to Taking Back Sunday's 'Halloween Is' shirt....

• Eylure Halloween Lashes Spooky, £4.64 (RRP £6.95) www.superdrug.com
• Leather tote bag by REDValentino, £410 www.net-a-porter.com
• Limited edition Taking Back Sunday 'Halloween Is' shirt, www.takingbacksunday.com
• House of Holland Nails by Elegant Touch, £7.99 www.asos.com
• Maleficent inspired Malangeli shoes, £950 Christian Louboutin
• UV Lipstick, £4 www.topshop.com 
• Sequin bat mask, £7 www.topshop.com

Oscar de la Renta, 1932 – 2014

Last week came the sad news that one of the fashion world's most iconic designers, Oscar de la Renta, passed away aged 82 following a long battle with cancer. Since founding his own label in 1965, his name has become synonymous with glamour, and his designs have been worn and loved by an impressive list of ladies, from Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn to Sarah Jessica Parker and Taylor Swift.

Oscar's designs are both powerful and elegant, successfully capturing his Latin roots with a bold use of colour. Combine this with impeccable tailoring, reflective of his time in Paris in the early 1960s, and the up-town style of his life in New York, and you begin to understand why his work has such far-reaching and enduring appeal.

"Fashion is about dressing according to what's fashionable. Style is more about being yourself"
– Oscar de la Renta


So here are a few facts about a man who will be remembered and revered for many years to come:

• Born in Santo Dimingo on 22 July 1932
• Studied painting at the Academy of San Fernando aged 18
• Learned fashion design under Cristobal Belenciaga
• Was an assistant to Antonio Castillo at Lanvin in Paris from 1960-63
• Created his first perfume, Oscar, in 1977
• Artistic Director for Pierre Balmain from 1993 to 2002 – the first American designer to create haute couture for a Paris fashion house
• Third husband of former editor-in-chief for french Vogue, Francoise de Langlade, until her death in 1983
• Designed Amal Alamuddin's dress for her marriage to George Clooney last month
• Held dual citizenship in the Dominican Republic and United States

www.oscardelarenta.com

Excuses, excuses.....

This is one great big apology for the fact that I have seriously neglected the blog for the last couple of months. It is without a doubt the longest I have ever gone without posting and I'm a little bit ashamed of that fact. There are many reasons for my absence; personal ones, professional ones and, most recently, because this happened.....

Yep, that's right. Orlando 2014! Two weeks of theme parks, sunbathing, eating good food and drinking considerably more than we should have... Orlando is definitely the Marmite of the holiday destination world, you either love it or you hate it, and to be honest when I first went 10 years ago I was expecting it to be a one time deal. But here I am, five trips later, and my advice would be don't knock it 'til you try it!

Eating and drinking our way around the globe at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival, clearly a very serious business...

Supporting my beloved Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium

Making friends at Busch Gardens

The 'special' effects of Mike's Harder Lemonade at Halloween Horror Nights

Springfield at Universal Studios. I can now officially tick drinking a beer at Moe's off the bucket list...

If you are wondering why I look like I'm about to cry in the photo above, it's because this was the last day and we were about to leave for the airport. I'm a true sun worshipper and the thought of leaving 30 degree sunshine to return to grey old England was just too much for me to bear!

Huge thank yous for such an epic vacation go to: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (I love you no matter what), Mickey Mouse for inviting us to his Halloween party, Universal Studios for putting on the best Halloween Horror Nights I've witnessed in years, the Cheesecake Factory for the same reason as always, Mike's Harder Lemonade for producing some of the most memorable and memory-wiping moments of the holiday, Wholefoods for its vegan snacks and awesome beers, Epcot for its always epic food and wine festival, Rise Against, Sugar Ray, Richie the cab driver, the geese that visited our hotel each day and many more....

Last but not least a huge thank you to James, Horwill and Joss, for an amazing holiday, for willingly going on carousels with me and for making me laugh for two weeks straight! You guys rule.

Anyway, now that the jet lag is dealt with and the post-holiday blues are starting to lift, I've given myself a good metaphorical kick up the backside and established a few goals, the first of which is to return to my former regular blogging ways. First post done! That's one thing I can tick off my list, which means I've officially earned a tea break, right?!

Today's soundtrack: Pixies – Greens and Blues

Today's soundtrack is Greens and Blues by the Pixies, a band who are almost as old as I am and, after almost three decades, boasts three of its founding members. Despite reuniting in 2003 after a ten year split, things have been decidedly quiet on the Pixies front, and Indie Cindy (released back in April) is their first album in over 20 years. Blue Eyed Hexe immediately received extensive radio airplay, but for some reason I have only just got my hands on the full album. My review? Definitely worth the wait.

Blue Eyed Hexe is well worth a listen, but I've chosen Greens and Blues for today's soundtrack, which has a more classic Pixies sound and is a nice chilled way to start your Thursday.