Thursday 29 November 2012

Its results time... Updated!

Thursday 29th November 2012.
By Amy Morgan

Morning everyone!
If you have been following us on Blogger recently then you will already be aware that last week, we entered the Christmas window judging competition for Chichester.
(If not then refer <here> for how we created our window and <here> for how it looked on the day of the judging!)

We were originally supposed to find out the winners on saturday when Chichester planned to hold its spectacular Christmas light switch on. However, due to high winds and an extreme amount of rain the event had to be called off.

BUT GUESS WHAT!

Yesterday the mayoress of Chichester, Anne Scicluna, came in to our boutique, took our picture and announced that we, 'Everything But The Girl' have been placed...

Joint second!

(Sorry about the light quality, the certificate is laminated which makes the light reflect everywhere!)

The placings were:
1st: Cancer research.
Runners Up: 'Everything But The Girl' bridal boutique and Marlin Kitchens!




Our window display, showcasing our certificate!


I would like to say a huge well done to the EBTG team for all of the hard work that they have put in to the display. I would also like to say thank-you to the Chichester BID (Business Improvement District) for putting on an event that was so much fun to participate in!


Tuesday 27 November 2012

It's results time!

Saturday 24th November 2012.
by Amy Morgan.

SO!

Today is the day when we find out the results of the Chichester Observers christmas window judging competition... Or so it should of been.

Unfortunately, due to the extreme amount of rain, (Thank-you typical british weather!) The events surrounding the christmas light switch on had to be cancelled. 


BUT!


We have had a phone call from the people at the observer who have said that due to the event being called off, they will be visiting the shops, of the people that have been placed, this week.

So whilst we do not know yet, we will find out in the next couple of days whether or not we are a winner!

A display with a twist!

Friday 23rd November 2012.
By Amy Morgan


Today is the day of the christmas window judging!!

Yipppeee!

The day began with our model, Amy, going to Toni and Guy's chichester branch, where one of their lovely stylists created an up do for us! Amy then ran back to the boutique where it was time to be fitted into her dress!

We decided upon  the 1251 from the 'Angelina Faccenda by Mori Lee' 2013 collection, in a stunning champagne colour. Amy then hopped in to the window, replacing the mannequin, and it was time for the fun to begin!

The Chichester Observer (Our local newspaper) and the Mayoress, Councillor Anne Scicluna,
 spent the day walking through the streets of Chichester, judging each of the windows before they headed back to evaluate and rate their findings.

Throughout the day we received great amounts of praise and compliments for our window displays, with many stopping by to take photos. Our model even managed to scare quite a few people as they didn't realise she was a live mannequin!

We will find out the results at tomorrows christmas light switch on, so fingers crossed!


Hair by Toni and guy, Chichester.




Amy, our live mannequin!


Tis The Season To Be... Crafty!!

Thursday 22nd November 2012.
By Amy Morgan


This week at the boutique we have been very busy with our christmas window display! 



Natalie, Deena and i, all got together at the beginning of the week brainstormed about ideas we had for our christmas display. Several cups of tea later and we had our EBTG spin on Holly and Ivy ready!



We decided upon having two different windows, one as 'Homely Holly' which has the warm effects of christmas, with festive reds, greens and golds, and the other as 'Icy Ivy' which portrays the winter wonderland that christmas typically falls in to, with white and silver.




The day began with lots of prep, threading chains, cutting out shapes and a few silly moments -Natalie, looking at you with your wig wearing!! The Festival theatre, in Chichester, were very helpful and provided us with some beautiful props for our display, and by the afternoon we had finished! 



See below for images on how 'Icy Ivy' and 'Homely Holly' came to be.





The story of 'Icy Ivy'




We hung up star christmas lights and added our snowflake stickers to the window.



We added antique chairs for the centrepiece and decorated with real branches.



One of the birdcages from the theatre, filled with silver pinecones!



Finally, we hung up our mirrored 'shards' for the back drop.
Here's how it looks from the inside.



And here's how it looks from the outside...







The story of 'Homely Holly'


Our second window display begun by hanging up strands of Ivy along our window edges.




We used these amazing birdcages from the Festival Theatre. We wanted our 'Holly' window to be warm, homely and welcoming.



We hung the birdcages and filled each with an accessory, tiara, shoe or bag. (All of which are available in store!)





















We then added the astroturf for our flooring, added wrapped christmas gifts, fairy lights and sprinkled autumnal leaves for our finishing touch!




We decided to dress our mannequin in the 1251 from the 2013 'Angelina Faccenda by Mori Lee', collection in Champagne, as it was a beautiful colour and complemented our window perfectly.



The Chichester Observer (our local newspaper)will be coming round to judge the windows tomorrow so stay tuned for the results...

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Weddington Boots!


Weddington Boots.
The Great British wedding!
By Amy Morgan.




Weddings are a thought provoking subject.
What dress do I wear?
How should I have my hair? My make up?
What colour scheme do I choose?
Then there leaves one of the most important elements…

Where shall I have my wedding!?

Now, we all know that jetting off to the Maldives is some peoples ideal, but not everyone has the budget to accommodate this. Besides, there are times in life when there is just no place like home!

Which leaves just one little element that can prove tricky when planning your Wedding.

Can you guess what it is?

That’s right.
Our glorious unpredictable weather!

This weather of ours makes choosing a date a difficult task, especially with climate change transferring our chilly Octobers for heat waves and our usual April showers for droughts!
So how do you know when to pick a date?
Well… you don’t.
But the good news is there are many ways you can prepare yourself for the unexpected. Which is where I introduce Weddington Boots!

Weddington boots are pearlescent, high-heeled wellingtons that are designed to let you enjoy your day without having to worry about a cheeky drop of H20!
There are two styles available, the ‘Classic’, which has a cowgirl look and a lace up front, and the ‘Catherine’, which was inspired by Catherine Middleton’s love of knee high boots! 

Both of these styles are available at ‘Everything But The Girl' Bridal Boutique and offer the perfect solution for not only brides or guests at a wedding, but for outdoor events too. Such as; marquee functions, wedding receptions, birthdays, festivals or even watching fireworks. We even had one customer who bought some yesterday because a friend was having an indoor/outdoor event and she wanted footwear that was both practical and that she could look glamorous in! 

The 'Catherine'

The 'Classic'

So whilst we can't stop the rain for you, we can recommend a product that you can look fabulous in whilst having to stand outside in it!

Friday 16 November 2012

Nominated!

And the nominations are in...

Friday the 16th November.

By Amy Morgan.


It is with great pleasure we announce that, Natalie Wileman, owner and director of 'Everything But The Girl' bridal boutique has been nominated for the 'Women of the year' awards! Natalie and three other fabulous fashionistas have been nominated under the 'Woman in fashion' category, which is sponsored by Pyramid Accessories, a local accessory store.


Natalie and Fiancé at Fashions Night Out in Madrid.






'Women of the year' is a way to congratulate and celebrate women in business, women at home, women in the community... (Basically, all women!) and there will be an evening full of glitz and glamour, sponsored by The Body Shop, in recognition of this on the 30th of November.

'Everything But The Girl' will be sponsoring the 'Hair and Beauty' category, and the judging for these awards is almost over, except for one part...
Your part!
The 'Readers choice!' category.
This is where you, the public, decide which one of the nominees (listed here) is most worthy of the title!

So if you want to support Natalie for her work as a stylist, designer, boutique owner and general lover of fashion, or anybody else then send an email with the name of the nominee to helen.watt@jpress.co.uk 


Let the voting, begin!

Thursday 15 November 2012

Elderflower Ellis-Immo!


Elderflower Ellis-Immo!
Cocktail anyone?

Saturday 03rd November 2012.
By Amy Morgan

This weekend at the boutique we had a very special opportunity for our future ‘Mrs whites’. To celebrate the end of the Ellis Romance collection’s world tour we decided to host a designer weekend where, for this weekend only, brides could try on this stunning collection and pre-order ready for the 2013 release date.

The day was styled using Ellis’ 2013 advertising campaign as inspiration to tie in with the continuous flow of romance. This included live models acting as mannequins for the day, draping themselves stylishly over chaise lounges for our window display and Elderflower Ellis-Immo cocktails served in charming little lace covered jam jars.

The event was a huge success, resulting in the diary being fully booked for the weekend, and plenty of orders being taken for the new collection. We even ended up keeping one of the dresses in the store for a little while longer as it proved to be such a hit!

(From L-R) Ben, Sofi, Natalie and Gracie.
-Four new business owners that showcased their talents at our designer weekend.
(To look at their business page, click on their names which will redirect you to their site in another window).

Ellis 2013 advertising campaign that we used as style inspiration for the weekend.


The day started with Ben from Hairport, coming in to style our models hair.
He used heated rollers to recreate the soft wave as seen in the 2013 Ellis advertising campaign.




Our goody bags, and the infamous Elderflower Ellis-Immo!
To recreate these darling little cocktails, see below.



    

Sofi with her Scrumdiddlyumptious cupcakes!


Our model in the live window display.


Hannah, a future Mrs White, who was passing by on her hen do and loved the display so much she just had to stop for a photo!



-x-



Elderflower Ellis-Immo Recipe.

You will need:
- Glass jars or your choosing.
- Lace.
- Ribbon (Colour of your choice).
- Sparkling Wine/ Champagne - your preference!
- Elderflower cordial.
- Straws 

1) Cut the lace to the size of the neck of the jar, (leaving a little bit extra).
2) Stick the ends of the lace together by staples or glue.
3) Cut ribbon to length of your choosing and tie in a bow over the top of the lace.
4) Mix 1/3 Elderflower cordial with 2/3 Sparkling wine/champagne and pour into jam jar.
5) Cut straws to size of the jar.
6) Sit, sip and relax!