BookWorm Beauty - THE MAN WHO RAINED - Ali Shaw

My beautiful book work has done not only me and Ali Shaw proud but her Auntie Ann too. Thank you so much Kellyann!!

I dedicate this blog to someone I lost a year ago who was one of the most important people to me. She made me laugh, she cared for me like a mother, the most selfless person I knew and I miss her every single day...... Auntie Ann xx

The first book I read this year, was pre-ordered some months ago! When I heard this author had wrote another book, I had to have it!!! The book I am talking about is The Man who rained by Ali Shaw. Weird title but makes sense once you read it!

"When Elsa's father is killed in a tornado, all she wants is to escape - from New York, her job, her boyfriend - to somewhere new, anonymous, set apart. For some years she has been haunted by a sight once seen from an aeroplane: a tiny, isolated settlement called Thunderstown. Thunderstown has received many a pilgrim, and young Elsa becomes its latest - drawn to this weather-ravaged backwater, this place rendered otherworldly by the superstitions of its denizens. In Thunderstown, they say, the weather can come to life and when Elsa meets Finn Munro, an outcast living in the mountains above the town, she wonders whether she has witnessed just that. For Finn has an incredible secret: he has a thunderstorm inside of him. Not everyone in town wants happiness for Elsa and Finn. As events turn against them, can they weather the tempest - can they survive at all? The Man Who Rained is a work of lyrical, mercurial magic and imagination, a modern-day fable about the elements of love."

I pre-ordered this book as I love the writing style of the author, so easy to slip into reading, the same as slipping into nice clean sheets after a bath! I also picked this as I loved the genre which is supernatural / fairy tales, but he makes the most magical of things, seem like normal life!

Haven't we all just had enough some days and imagine what it would be like setting up fresh in a small village, no pressures, no stresses, just figuring out life and how we fit in! This is what happens to Elsa, the final straw is her boyfriend proposing to her! She flees to the village of Thunderstown, where she accidently meets Finn. This is where the supernatural part kicks in.....he looks human, but inside he is made of clouds. He has no heartbeat, but instead a thunder storm. Even though they are physically different, they connect on many levels and she starts to feel like she isn't alone in the world. They become friends, then they fall in love. This is all new to Finn as his mother deserted him when he was smaller, and he has been brought up by a man who resents him.

I wont give away the ending, but the villages believe in curses and bad spirits, and they believe Finn is a curse. 3/4 into the book, you feel Elsa's sense of loss. If you have ever lost anyone special to you then you will sympathise with this character. It is heart wrenching, and painful to read, and it brought me to tears as im dealing with similar feelings in my personal life.....except the book does have a fantastic ending.

I think I most connected with Elsa, as I said, who doesn't dream about running away sometimes, starting a new and doing anything you wanted with no ties to your old life.

I did feel exhausted by the end as it is an emotional book, but the ending gives you hope that good can come out of a bad situation. I would recommend this it is a fantastic story and also feels fable like. I'm sure there was multiple life lessons and hidden meanings, but I loved the story. Plain and simple. Beautifully written, and what an imagination the author has. Ive heard the author is working on another novel, and I wait with baited breath!!!!!!!!

THE ONE & ONLY BRIDAL SHOWER COMPANY

Something very new and exciting for you, I want to present the beautiful Victoria to you, she has found her niche and made her stand in the market, The One and Only Bridal Shower Company is steaming into the industry at full speed and I am so proud to feature this amazing company on my blog!!

 

“Feather boas and L-plates aren’t for everyone,” says Victoria Winter of The One & Only Bridal Shower Company.

Recognising a gap in the market for bespoke hen parties with a glamorous twist, Victoria and her team offer a complete planning service for bridal showers, complemented by an online store (www.theoneandonlybridalshowercompany.co.uk) full of bridal gifts, decorations and stationery.

“We don’t do package deals, as we believe bridal showers are as unique as the bride herself,” Victoria says. “We can be creative and plan an event that is sophisticated and suited to the bridal party.”

Victoria has contacts with London, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire venues and will use her planning experience and eye for detail to bring your ideas to life.

Your event can be based around one of these top trends for 2012 bridal showers, or planned from a blank page.

Elegant dining: Previous One & Only events have taken place in a gorgeous London restaurant, such as Christopher’s in Covent Garden (pictured). Your hens are welcomed on arrival by a cocktail or a glass of Prosecco and encouraged to mix and mingle before dinner. A private dining room helps guests to relax and a bespoke three-course menu can be agreed beforehand to take the stress out of eating out.

Tea and cake: Afternoon tea is a flexible theme can be tailored to the age group of your party. Perfect for including mums, grandmothers and children, the food and fine china provides a real talking point. There a number of optional add-ons. Prosecco is ideal for a grown-up twist. Dine in a hotel restaurant or why not book a suite? Many hotels offer suites with enough seating for 10 and the bride-to-be can stay on that evening, too, for a small-scale evening event.

Spa sensation: A daytime spa taster or day-and-stay spa overnight is ideal for a relaxing bridal shower. Choose from a selection of spas that specialise in groups. You can expect lunch on arrival, treatments in the afternoon and plenty of time to relax in your robe, swim and chat with your group. Hertfordshire and Essex have some ideal, dedicated spa resorts that will also provide dinner and comfy rooms for an overnight stay.

If the above suggestions don’t suit, you can be as creative as you like with your ‘One & Only’ event. “Brides in their late 20s or 30s have been to a few hen nights themselves and may have a very good idea of what they don’t want,” says Victoria. “The amount of choice out there may be overwhelming but a little guidance will take all the stress out of the event.”

The One & Only Bridal Shower Company will be expanding their online store next year. You will still be able to buy invitations, balloons and table decorations but more colour schemes and themes will be available.

However, if you hire them as a planning service, they will source and assemble decorations based on what the bride, or chief bridesmaid, has asked for.

“You are not limited in any way with our service,” Victoria says. “Our events are 100% customisable, 100% personal and 100% bespoke.”

IN THE PRESS!!! Lancashire Life Magazine

I have ben featured in the Lancashire Life Magazine January/February Edition, I am delighted to have been featured for my Award Win back in November!!! How very exciting!!

 

So what are you waiting for!!! Book in with me for your wedding!! Im AWARD WINNING Darling!!! x

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Now I have finally come round from our new years Eve bash I just had to share the pictures!! I think there are more to come but our friends are clearly recovering too!!

I want to thank each and everyone of you who made my 2011 so very special. Thanks a million. I have lots of ideas and ranges lined up for this year and I am going to try very hard and get my online shop (non-wedding) up and running on my site. I am always interested in featuring new and exciting news so please get in touch mailme@claireogdendesigns.com

These pictures are of myself, Mr. Ogden and Little Ogdens, along with our fabulous forever friends the Kellys!! ps.We DONT take ourselves seriously we were being stupid, drinking and having lots of fun!

oh and Mr. Kelly, I thought the disco was ace, your mega mix rules and your seamless track to track was fabulous, not bad for 0.69p! a detached house and lots of loud music! (Every Day Im Shuffling!)

BookWorm Beauty - 2012 1st Review

Kellyann is back and making an impact on my blog for 2012. Thank you for all your support and comments shown to kellyann in 2011, she will be around a whole lot more this year.

A very happy new year to you all! Hope Santa brought you all the books you wanted! I hope my last blog helped with any difficult people to buy for!

My first book review for 2012 is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern which was one of my Christmas recommendations. This book is perfect for when you want to inject a bit of magic, wonderment and romance in to your normal day life (Everyday then!!).

Why I was tempted to read such a beautiful novel....

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Rêves delights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire.

Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs - the dreamers. At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter's daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer's apprentice. At the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of the imagination, and of their love...

A fabulous, fin-de-siècle feast for the senses and a life-affirming love story, The Night Circus is a captivating novel that will make the real world seem fantastical and a fantasy world real.

This book appealed to me as the book description reminded me of an Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen novel. They write wonderful modern day fairy tales which remind me of the magic you believed in as a child. I loved that there are so many characters in the book, and you do get a back story on most of the characters, and not at anytime do you feel you are being drawn away from the main story.

The story starts with two rivals who initiate a 'game,' there is no timeline, and no set task. The game plays itself out with the two players, Celia and Marco. Both been trained in the art of magic and both knowing they are opponents in a game, but this is all they know. They both find themselves in the travelling circus where they discover they are opponents but they fall in love which isn't allowed.

The plot unfolds introducing some fantastic and enchanting characters. My favourites being the flame-haired Murray twins know as Widget and Poppet. They are born at a pivotal time, and are important to the story.... but I won't tell you how. They remain child like as no one ages in the circus, it is the only life that they have known and they love their life entertaining the customers of the circus, especially when Bailey enters the equation. Bailey is introduced to the story, through his love of visiting this mysterious circus, and he is quickly enchanted by the magically tents of different wonders. The author writes that as Bailey enters the circus, he is captivated by the scent of the popcorn, and the reader is also. When she writes about the hot popcorn smell and the caramel apples, you really do smell it!

The plot did get a little complicated at times, but I couldn't put this book down! It enchanted me into this magical world of the circus, and I wanted to know more about the different tents and what they held. How the author described the ice tent gave me shivers, and my imagination went into overdrive at the mounds of glistening snow, icicles and show covered everything :) I loved the back story of the reveurs who loyalty follow the circus from town to town. They share each other’s excitement of following the circus, passing on any bits of information they hear, and once there, losing themselves in the night circus.

I would give this book a 9/10, losing 1 point as I lost the plot a little bit. The book is a fantastic read for those wanting an enchanted read, something to draw them away from any post Christmas blues. I know we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I have the hardback version and it’s really is beautiful. Black and white illustrations, with a red ribbon for a bookmark, which follows the colour code of the night circus (black and white) and red for the Reveurs who use this colour to distinguish them from the crowd.

I really can’t recommend this book enough, and I’m afraid I don’t feel I have done the book justice in describing just how enchanting this book really is! It brought a lot of childhood nostalgia back to me and I think this is the main reason you should read this. Relive your childhood memories!!

WHO TO KNOW - Rose Patricia Millnery

My very last WHO TO KNOW Feature of 2011 is brought to you by Rosa Nunn the super talented lady who I admire greatly. Her works speaks volumes and her creative levels are amazing. I hope to work a lot more closely with Rosa in 2012! A beautiful feature to end the year on!!

When did you begin your business and what do you specialise in? I started my business about three years ago and originally sold handmade clothing and ready to wear hats that were all inspired by the fashions of the 1940’s and 1950’s. However I found that I enjoyed designing and creating hats more than making clothing so I decided to concentrate on Millinery and have recently and rebranded my website to www.rosepatriciamillinery.com

 

I really love your beautiful designs, you are so talented! how did it all begin? I have always been creative from a very young age and in the past have made jewellery, knitting, embroidery, etc. 

For many years I have always wanted to sell my designs and have my own business but never had the opportunity until a few years ago. I started out by selling a small range of hats and clothing in the Upmarket at Brick Lane London and did for about a year.

What is your favourite aspect of your business? My favourite aspect of my business is the feedback and reactions that I receive from my customers when they receive their hat. I always ask my clients to send me a photo of them wearing the hat as I as I like to see my clients as more than just customers. I genuinely like to make sure that all of my clients are 100% happy with their purchase.

 

What inspires you most and where do your ideas come from? My main inspirations are from the fashions of the 1930’s, 1940’s & 1950’s. This can be from films, books, museums, exhibitions or just from talking to relatives and friends of the family.

Which, in your opinion, style of hat is popular for this season? In my opinion I would say that a fabulous half hat embellished with feathers and crystals would prove to be a real show stopper, certainly the one that is shown on my website would appear to be a very popular design. Alternatively a small circular cocktail hat for a mother of the bride always seems to be a popular design.

 

Talk us through a typical day.  The first thing I do every day is check my emails for orders or enquires. I also check the activity on my facebook, twitter and website accounts.

 

I spend a lot of time during each day researching hat designs I also spend a fair bit of time sourcing suitable fabrics and vintage embellishments to be used in the creation of my hats.  Because my hats in my couture range are handmade using the traditional blocking there is always a hat that needs creating and finishing.

 

Do you hire out as well as sell?  No, because when I design a hat for a client I like to have the knowledge that this item has been specifically created for them.

Do you wear your own creations? Yes I do as much as I can.

 

What plans do you have for the future? Ideally I would like to have my own shop with a studio attached in order that I could provide all my clients with a full design and creative process.

 

We want to come and say hello! Where can we find you? I am currently using a workshop space that I have in my garage at my home in Epping, Essex and if my clients would like to visit me they are more than welcome.