They did the Monster Mash

Halloween is always a fun time of year for me. I think it's my inner 16-year old goth girl screaming to get out. As the years go on, more and more people start to embrace all the spooky festivities and Halloween gets increasingly popular. I noticed some stores in Glasgow starting to stock their Halloween wares as early as the end of July this year. Decorations, costumes, sweets and yes, even greeting cards - it seems Halloween is big business.

Like Christmas and New Year, Halloween weekend is now cause to go out  - with several themed club nights and events advertised every year. Last night seen Ashton Lane's Creatures of the Night, a full after-hours street party with each pub/ restaurant in Ashton Lane taking on a Halloween persona, proving that Halloween's popularity is not lost on Glasgow's party-goers.

Despite the choice on offer - with the above event in particular being right on my doorstep - I have my own tradition for this wicked weekend and it would need to take something pretty incredible to change that. Halloween movie night in our flat has been how I prefer to spend Halloween weekend for the last few years. Call me boring, but I look forward to it every time and this year has been no exception. With friends,  junk food galore (candy coma, anyone?) and the horror genre's good, bad & ugly on DVD (and if we're feeling flush, blu-ray), I always have a great time. This year we watched Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, which was a bit like Saved By the Bell but with lots of people getting stabbed. There was also a pumpkin that accidentally ended looking like John Waters after we carved it and of course, the endless supply of sweets:

As well as watching films  and eating enough rubbish to horrify my dentist, Halloween also gives me an excuse to wear my more eerie ensembles (I did say I was a goth kid at heart) and enjoy the themed pieces that come out. I've always been a fan of Tatty Devine's Ghost necklace (£27) - simple and very cute, it's remained a classic and makes me smile. I also really like this Werewolf Tee by Urban Outfitters, with it's comic-book style print and hole detailing:

Werewolf Tee, £30 at Urban Outfitters

The other day the Boy pointed out these Rosario shoes by Pretty Ballerinas - in perfect Halloween colours featuring pumpkin and witches hat detailing. Good eye! Although at over a hundred quid they may need to be admired from afar.

A couple of years back I won a dress from the totally awesome and now defunct Lady Luck Rules OK website as part of a Halloween contest. The dress has everything you'd expect from a Halloween print - vampires, skeletons, gravestones and pumpkins. I love wearing it and make sure it gets trotted out at this time of year:

One of my favourite dresses ever - thanks LLROK! 

Finally, a quick word on decorating - it's been a total joy to dress up our new flat for Halloween this year. I really think we outdid ourselves and struck a good balance. I just wish I'd seen this cute Halloween bunting (I love bunting!) by John Lewis sooner:

Ghost & Bat bunting, £4 at John Lewis

Ah well, there's always next year.

Happy Halloween everyone! What's YOUR Halloween style?

Winter Style Part 3 - Where's Your Head At?

Keeping our heads and faces warm and protected from the cold is key to staying comfortable and healthy during the winter months. It's not just about looking good, this one is about feeling good too.

In my final part of this mini-series about stylishly staying warm this winter, lets have a look at the range of headgear on offer.

The no-brainer option here is of course, the trusty hat. Hats are perfect for staying warm and for hiding bad-hair days! A bit nippy outside? Throw on a hat. Are your roots showing? Ditto. And there are so many hats to choose from, there really is no excuse to be complaining of cold ears. One of the most popular styles of hat this winter are very cutesy, animal beanies. It is fair to say that you will spot a lot of these hats on Buchanan Street on a Saturday (or any other day for that matter) at the moment.

These were very sought after by many ladies (myself included) last winter and River Island's polar bear style hat was sold out in several stores and online, particularly after Katy Perry was photographed wearing it. The 'Katy Perry' hat was being hawked on eBay for 4 times its actual price at one point. Clearly on the ball this year, River Island has a huge selection of similar hats with a kawaii style that will keep you cosy. Bunnies, bears, tigers, dogs and even raccoons feature in the range. Some people don't see what all of the fuss is about, some think the style is much too immature for grown women (and men) to be wearing - but the animal beanies tap into my love affair with Japanese street style in a big way. That, and I'm a sucker for anything with a cute face.

For those looking for something a bit more classic, Gap have a great range of knitted hats and this knitted beanie is guaranteed to keep you warm. Feeling like a lady? Check out this sophisticated leopard print beret from Urban outfitters:

Leopard Beret with Pom Pom (£22), Urban Outfitters

Topshop have an excellent collection of hats this winter, and top marks go to their trapper hats. A little tougher than beanies, the trapper hat is easier to pull off than you might think and looks great on. Topshop's selection comes in a variety of colours, styles and textures so most people will find one they will like.

The next two items on my list are making a comeback after a few years out of the limelight. The first is earmuffs, which are extremely popular and can be found in most shops this season. Primark are even flogging them for a mere pound. Urban Outfitters have some very nice fluffy earmuffs for £14. Earmuffs are light, fuss free and their main point of appeal is their ability to not leave the wearer with 'hat hair'. They are, to me the go-to accessory if I think my hair looks good but I still need to keep my ears warm!

Snoods, have been around (or so I am told) since the middle ages (and if my mum can remember them, there must be some truth in that) and are now enjoying another moment of popularity in the recent freezing weather. They are fairly inexpensive and can be worn in different ways - all with the bonus of keeping you toasty and warm. Snoods in the shops just now range from high end, like this Paul Smith snood (£115):

...to the high street with Matalan's sparkle snood coming in at just a fiver.

One final quick tip for feeling and looking good this winter comes in the form of skincare. Make sure you are protecting your skin from the elements and moisturize regularly in order to soothe, calm and restore skin that is irritated by the cold. I recommend Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Skin Protectant. It might be an oldie, but it's a goodie.

I leave you with some pictures of the Botanic Gardens under the recent snowfall.



Remember, wherever you may wander over the coming weeks make sure you wrap up warm!

Winter Style Part 2 - Coat Yourself in Warmth

Continuing from my last blog, I'm still looking at my favourite ways to stay warm during what I am now terming the 'Snow-pocalypse'...

Sometimes I see people out at this time of year without a coat or jacket and think they must be mad. Yes, we can see that that t-shirt is pretty awesome, but accessorised with blue arms and a shiver? Not so good my friend. I move on now to winter coats, a basic wardrobe style staple that - if chosen well - will see you through a few winters.

Personally, I favour a good wool peacoat. Simple, chic and unfussy, a peacoat will keep you warm and with my own navy Anglomania princess peacoat well into it's third year now (and still looking in good shape) the style will always look current no matter what the current trends are. Topshop are doing a few on-trend variations on the classic coat, noteably this tweed Boyfriend style coat (£85) and their Premium Hairy Peacoat (£130).

My other favourite kind of coat - and perfect for this kind of weather - is a glorious, warm faux-fur coat (preferably in leopard print, not that I'm fussy...). Faux-fur coats are fun, glamorous and allow you to channel your inner forties screen starlet while staying toasty at the same time. Second-hand/ vintage faux-fur coats are (usually) very good quality and well-priced (or at least they used to be). A rummage through your local thrift store, vintage emporium or Urban Outfitters (thanks to their Urban Renewal initiative) might result in finding a gorgeous and warm piece.

A selection of vintage coats available at Urban Outfitters (various prices).

Alternatively, many high street stores have caught on to the genius of the faux-fur coat. Mango, Lipsy, River Island and Topshop all have very nice and affordable coats, but full marks go to French Connection's collection of furry beauties. This little number (£175) makes me just want to dive in and snuggle up.

Of course, these are just two of my favourite styles of coat, there are several other options available too. This means that there is no excuse and we should all be trying to stay warm no matter what style of coat we choose. Awesome t-shirt or not.

What is your coat of choice this winter?