Frugal February

Yesterday I stumbled across 2 blogs - Dolly Mix and Big Girls Browse - both of which enlightened me to Frugal February... Aha, just what I need! Suffering from post-Christmas / silly season expenditure, my disposable income has hit an all time low. So this month I vow to spend as little as possible. Whilst I will remain loyal to my daily extra-hot, double shot, skinny cappuccino - there will be no money spent on clothes, cosmetics and beauty products. There will be no mid-week drinking out (I may stretch to a cheap bottle of wine at home) and Saturday nights out will be capped to £40? Can you have a good night out on £40?? Watch this space!


I cycle into work everyday (a 14 mile round trip!), saving me the cost of transport and I always make my own lunch, which must save me a fiver a day... I play netball 2, sometimes 3 evenings a week and also on a Saturday morning (which means I tend not to go out on a Friday night) and I have a Virgin gym membership (not cheap!) so try to make good use of it on nights I'm not playing sport...

How hard can this Frugal February lark be, if I just immerse myself in exercise, lay off the vino and big nights out and show a little restraint for 29 days towards pretty clothes, shoes and earrings?! Then maybe some of that self-restraint will carry itself over to March too... here's hoping!

Dave Cornthwaite - The Creative Explorer

On Thursday evening The Marketers Forum were lucky enough to host a talk by Dave Cornthwaite, an adventurer, author, documentary maker and motivational speaker.

“Choose comfort or choose ambition. They don’t come in the same box”

At 25 Dave had a well paid, but unfulfilling job as a graphic designer, his own house, a long term girlfriend and a cat… however he gave all of it up in pursuit of a dream. Having always wanted to write, Dave realised he needed ‘stories’ in order to enable his writing. A turn on a longboard in 2005, gave birth to an idea to travel the world, raising awareness for causes he was passionate about, whilst creating material he could write about…

He began planning 2 incredible journeys, which saw him skate the length of Britain from John O’ Groats to Lands End and then in early 2007 he pushed his skateboard Elisa, 5823km across Australia between Perth and Brisbane. Dave became the first person to cover these distances on a skateboard and has a Guinness World Record to mark his achievement, a host of global media coverage and a remarkable book entitled BoardFree, detailing his journey.

Dave’s odyssey across Oz, fuelled his passion for adventure and travel and he threw himself into further experiences, activities and charities. Soon after, he became the face of Aquaskipping, a human-powered hydrofoil and broke the British speed record. This was followed by a kayaking expedition in late 2009 along the Murray, Australia’s longest river, from the source to mouth. Dave has put together a documentary about his experience to raise awareness for environmental and climatic factors affecting the once great river.

Soon after, Dave tried stand-up paddle boarding and crossed Lake Geneva in the summer of 2010, a distance of 86.9km in a record breaking 2 days. Once again, he has captured and documented his journey.

All these adventures have led to Dave dreaming up ‘Expedition 1000′. His aim is to raise a million pounds for charity by “undertaking 25 separate journeys in excess of 1000 miles in distance, each using a different form of non-motorised transport. The project will cover every continent, cross the three major oceans and see Dave reach both poles.”

You can find out more about ‘Expedition 1000′ by visiting Dave’s website.

Dave’s intention is to inspire people to follow their dreams and think outside the box. Dave closed his talk with TMF by encouraging the audience to make a list of everything they want to achieve in life, be it small or large and then make it happen.

He did.

For more information about Dave, what’s he’s up to and how to support him you can visit his website or connect with him on Facebook (Dave Cornthwaite) or Twitter (@DaveCorn)

Tom Ford Shades

Tom Ford sunglasses are the business. Always oversized and generally rocking a retro vibe they are the celebrity’s shade of choice. Universally loved by Hollywood’s leading ladies (and men), Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have all been snapped modelling Tom Ford shades in recent months.

Nicholas Hoult has become the poster boy for Tom Ford sunglasses, since starring in Ford’s Directorial Debut, ‘A Leading Man’. Alongside his female sidekick Carolyn Murphy, his face is regularly splashed across the fashion glossies and billboards. It’s certainly been an interesting career trajectory since his geeky turn in Nicholas Parson’s ‘About a boy’!

Tom Ford is primarily known for his menswear and accessories but this year he shocked the fashion world by throwing a surprise ‘Cocktail Party’ which was in fact designed to reveal his first womenswear collection in 6 years. Top fashion folk were invited to the ‘Cocktail Party’ which was held in New York and had all the hallmarks of a Fifties couture show. Ford asked women that inspired him to model his spring/summer ‘11 collection, among them were; Beyonce Knowles, Julianne Moore, Daphne Guinness, Lauren Hutton and Amber Valetta. Ford commented “I want to concentrate on real women and the real customer. It’s all about individuality, individual style, different body types, women who have their own style.” One official photographer was present to avoid press leaks and its rumoured photos of the show will not be released until January next year!

Such secrecy has created even more of a buzz about Tom Ford. If this story is anything to go by then every woman in the fashion-know is going to have Tom Ford on her radar! As is always the case designer clothes are way beyond our budget, but thankfully with a little scrimping and saving, designer sunglasses are not! With this year and next, seemingly obsessed with all things vintage, Tom Ford sunglasses are the perfect label to hit the retro mark. There are so many different styles and most of them are beautifully oversized which was such a common trait in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.

Thankfully the sun hasn’t disappeared just yet and there’s always the need for the perfect pair of shades to take you through the winter. In order to be bang on the money for next year’s big trends we’d suggest investing in a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses and you won’t be disappointed!

Vogue's Fashion Night Out

Having finished my marketing course early on Weds 8th Sept in Regent St, I thought I'd have a cheeky browse around Topshop and slink off home. However as soon as I hit Oxford Circus I realised this was no ordinary Wednesday night.. it was in fact 'Vogue's Fashion Night Out'. Brilliant.

Free cranberry and gin cocktails in Toppers, mad booming music in the lingerie shop on the corner, martini's and a photo booth in River Island, live styling in the window of Pull and Bear, 'walking in high heels' lessons in Selfridges along with free tequilla slushies and a celeb sighting! None other than pregnant Lily Allen, looking very glamorous, holding court in The Wonder Room in Selfridges at a private party.

The West End was awash with beautiful, sexy, fashion people and the paps! There was a real energy and excitement and I got on the train back home on a high - that may have been the tequilla though!

New Shade Station Lifestyle section!

Have you seen our hot new Shade Station Lifestyle section? If you’ve yet to check out our fab community pages then you’re missing out! With fresh booty to be won every month, an up-to-the-minute celebrity sunglasses and watches guide, discounts, blogs, free wall paper to download and a chance to get your pic on the website, our lifestyle section is fast becoming a vibrant hub of activity.

We’re as obsessed with celebrities as the next person and we’re especially keen to know what branded sunglasses, watches and accessories they’re wearing. Why you ask? Well, so we can let you, our fab Shade Station customer, know exactly who’s wearing what, what’s hot this season and how you can bag a bit of celebrity style. Every week we feature sizzling hot designer sunglasses in our ‘As seen on…’ section, and then add a cheeky discount. Now who can resist a bargain?

You can follow the latest style news and learn all about established sunglasses and wristwear brands and upcoming designer labels in our Shade Station Style Blog, which is fresh and celebrity focused. What’s more you can download cool wall paper for your computer desk top or peruse the snaps from our latest fashion shoots.

But we’ve left the best to last, why not let rip with a ‘Hello World – Check me Out!’ and get your mug shot pinned on the Shade Station website! You can even win money for it! Our ‘Get your pics out’ section is a chance for you to show everyone your beautiful face in your best sunnies. Just go to ‘Get your pics out’, upload a picture of you in your Shade Station sunglasses and then sit back and wait for the phone call! Well that’s not strictly true, all our lifestyle visitors will vote for their favourite pic by clicking on the shot. The person with the most clicks in a month will win £50 – depending on how expensive your taste is, that’s a new watch or a half price pair of sunnies! If you’re shy and would rather remain behind the camera, you can still join in the fun by voting for your preferred photo.

Our lifestyle section is designed with you in mind and we hope you like it. Check in regularly for the latest celeb style, seasonal trends, discount brands and get your face seen in ‘Get your pics out’. Get involved, tell all your friends about us and we’ll love you forever!

Ray Ban have Summer Stitched up!

If you’re not in Ray Ban sunglasses this summer you may find yourself in the minority… The Ray Ban craze shows no signs of abating – quite the contrary in fact as they’ve already updated their tasty portfolio of shades this year.

At the beginning of 2010 Ray Ban introduced their ‘Rare Prints’ range of Wayfarer sunglasses – a twist on the original block shades, with subway designs, floral motifs and stripes. In addition to some snazzy prints, Ray Ban have released the Wayfarer II, an update on the Wayfarer style with two tone coloured frame and arms. The summer is the perfect time to add more colour to your palette and Ray Ban make it super easy, as so many of their Wayfarer designs are colourtastic! Just pop a pair on and you’ve nailed a couple of trends in one go!

Most young celebrities acknowledge the style power of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and some are die-hard fans. Stylish men and women who wear Wayfarers include; Rachel Bilson, Kate Bosworth, Dominic Cooper and Robert Pattinson.

Continuing with the colour theme and also picking up on our love for oversized shades, Ray Ban’s Cats 1000 are a great pair of sunglasses to cover your peepers this summer. With acetate frames, massive lenses and a retro style, the Cats 1000 come in a range of bright colours including acid pink and yellow, tortoiseshell and two tone.

Another hit this summer for Ray Ban has been their sunglasses style RB4141. A little like a re-worked Club Master, but with Wayfarer arms, these shades have smaller round lenses and smack of Sixties vintage with a new age twist. Worn by the likes of Lady Gaga and Pixie Geldof, the perfectly round lenses are a huge trend this season.

And finally we couldn’t leave without mentioning our love of Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses. The original and still the best – these beauties were designed for pilots back in the day and now adorn everyone from Cheryl Cole, Kylie, Tom Cruise and David Beckham. Loved by all and sympathetic to most face shapes, Aviators are the classic stylish option to some of Ray Ban’s wackier styles.

2010 Festival Sunglasses Trends

Summer is officially here, the sun is shining and we couldn’t be happier! With the warmer months comes the usual smorgasbord of amazing festivals to get your hedonistic thrills at. Whether you enjoy moshing at ‘Download’, country pursuits at ‘The Green Man’, teenage kicks at ‘V Festival’, fancy dress at ‘Bestival’, glamour at newbie ‘Vintage at Goodwood’ or the mystic of ‘Glastonbury’, you must ensure you’re dressed for the occasion.

Festivals, fashionable summer gear and cool sunglasses all go hand in hand. Maybe it’s the influence of Gaga or perhaps Dita Von Teese, but this summer is all about kooky and vintage. With styles from the Fifties and Sixties making a comeback, we predict this year’s festivals to be awash with vintage shaped sunglasses in a cat’s eye style or small round frames, oversized sunglasses in reds, greens and brown and retro-looking shades.

The festival season kicked off with April’s Coachella Festival in California, where a host of celebrities dazzled with their fashionable threads and on-trend sunglasses. Kelly Osborne was spotted wearing small round framed lilac sunglasses, Katy Perry went retro in angular black frames with a bold white stripe across the top, Dita Von Teese personified Fifties elegance in oversized brown sunglasses with graduated lenses and Kate Bosworth dressed to impress in classic Ray Ban Aviators.

Aviators and Wayfarers from Ray Ban transcend fashion and will always be popular and current. For classic sunglasses you can’t go wrong with either of these styles for festival frolicking. The same goes for oversized glam shades. Designers like Gucci, Bvlgari, Versace, D&G, MDG Sunglasses, Chanel and Pucci all have great sunglasses for summer goddess style. On the other hand if you’re a seasonal type of girl with a desire to look fabulous and ‘now’ – take a leaf from Kelly O’s book and opt for small round shades. This style was all over the spring / summer catwalks and looks great in pastel coloured frames teamed with a floral frock or playsuit. Or you may want to play the vintage diva with cats eye shaped sunglasses – again a strong trend on the catwalk this year. Look to brands like Prada and Marc Jacobs to achieve this look.

We’ve got our Big Chill tickets and our festival sunnies sorted. Now it’s just a case of praying for sunshine! Here’s hoping….