Be sure to visit WinterHaven’s Authors Fright Festival on October 31st, where myself and a great line-up of authors come together for a Spooktacular Event.
I know for some grade 12 students, school formal or prom has already happened, or you have it all stitched up. But for the late comers already in grade 12, or this year’s grade 11 students, now is the time to begin planning for your formal.
There are a few tips to getting the cost of this event down to a level most parents will be happy about.
Let’s look at 5 of the big money traps.
Car hire – As with weddings, saying the words school formal, can have some of the less respectable companies adding an extra cost on top of the usual fee of renting a limo. When hiring the limo keep close watch on how things are handled, maybe even have your parents ring up after you with their own rental enquiry to make sure you’re not getting ripped off. ALSO try and get as many people into that limo as it will hold, so the cost is split amongst you all. The more the merrier.
Tux Hire versus buying a nice suit – PLEASE check with your date as to how formal he/she would like you to be,
and shop around a little. Sometimes buying a nice suit you can wear more than once can be more cost effective than hiring a tux. Also check how much more is added to the rental fee if you add extras like top hats, cummerbunds and cravats. Keep in mind it is also cheaper to borrow from a family member or a friend. Don’t forget to pay for cleaning the tux, or suit if you borrow it. It’s only fair.
Hair and makeup – Do your research girls. Know what kind of hair style you want, and perhaps bring magazine clippings or photos along to give the hairdresser a really god idea of what you would like her to do. Some hair dressers have packages on offer including hair, makeup and sometimes even nails. Some even throw in a trial. Some may even come to your home. Be sure to check and ensure these packages are cost effective, and are going to suit your budget as well as your sense of style.
Corsages and buttonholes – I am a HUGE advocate of the artificial flower movement. If you look hard enough you can find almost any type of blooms and they’re extremely realistic in appearance. Not to mention they won’t wilt or be out of season when you want them the most. As an added bonus they’re usually cheaper than the real thing. There are some brilliant tutorials on how to create your own corsages and buttonhole arrangements on youtube. Here’s a simple but beautiful one by Waterdeep2012:
Now onto the big cost… The dress. There are many ways to save money on the dress.
Ebay. I think you would be taking the biggest gamble with buying your dresses from ebay. Not only could they be late on arrival, but they are not always of the best quality or exactly as they are depicted in the photos. However the prices are AMAZING if you’re lucky enough to get a good ebay seller.
Second hand stores or factory seconds. Op shops can sometimes be a mine of hidden treasures when it comes to formal wear. Factory seconds aren’t usually dramatically flawed. Sometimes it’s just a makeup stain or a slight discolouration in the fabric. These can be covered with beading, a strategically placed corsage or dry cleaning, even re dying the fabric.
Have your dress made by a dress maker. Those huge pattern books in spotlight are a brilliant source for formal wear patterns. You can usually pick one up for under $20 and if you supply your own fabric as well, this will keep the cost down even further with the dress maker. (Just be sure to get the recommended fabric type as stated on the back of the pattern) The added bonus here is, you probably won’t have anyone turn up with the same dress as you’re in, and, it will fit you far better than those you would be getting off the rack. If your budget allows, and your dress maker offers it, you could also add beading and other individual touches to really set yourself up as the best dressed lady in the room.
Have fun everyone!
“The Reckoning destroyed civilisation. Rising from the ashes, some people have developed unique abilities, and society is scared of them. Guided by the ancient spirits of the land, Ashala Wolf will do anything to keep them safe. When Ashala is captured, she realises she has been betrayed by someone she trusted. When her interrogator starts digging in her memories for information, she doubts she can protect her people forever. Will the Tribe survive the interrogation of Ashala Wolf?”
I’d gone against my own personal norm for this delightful book and watched at least one review on youtube before settling in to read it for myself. I don’t normally do that as I like to go into the book with little or no expectations and let the book speak for itself. However in this instance, I really wanted to see how a guy came at the book with a female main character. Braiden loved it and this gave me a big burst of hope for what was to come.
What I found was a heartfelt, gritty, story of survival, love and integrity with a dream-time aboriginal folk law adding another dimension. Ambelin’s characters are true to life insofar as their ambition and genuine struggle to belong.
Ashala is fierce in her loyalty and her desire to help others. Connor finds himself at the mercy of his heart when his mission makes unexpected detours. The other Tribe members are like a filigree masterpiece. They may be spun so intricately through the tale, but they all come together to balance out the final product.
Along with a couple of power-hungry mad scientists, there are reptiles and arachnids who guide the story along its winding path of discovery. They themselves are just as important to the flow as the main characters, as they aid Ashala and her Tribe to where they need to be, if not physically, then emotionally.
I loved the way the dystopian themes took a back seat to the adventure and the intrigue. Things are never as they seem in the First Wood and Ashala’s connection to the land made me want to stop and just listen.
If I were you, I’d give the vivid imagery Kwaymullina conjures up in this evocative tale a try. I promise, you won’t have read anything quite like this before.
http://www.facebook.com/AmbelinKwaymullina
http://www.thefirstwood.com.au/
Paperback, 397 pages
Published July 2012 by Walker Books Australia
ISBN139781921720086
Cas’s life has never been ordinary. He and his mother move from place to place, following rumours and whispers of violent hauntings. When he finds the ghosts; he moves in and kills them.
He has never encountered anyone like Anna Dressed in Blood. A powerful ghost lingering in the Victorian house she once called home and surrounded by all of the people she’s killed; she is what Cas has been looking for. An opponent worthy of him.
What he doesn’t count on are the people from his new school insisting on helping him. And he doesn’t count on Anna. Tangled up in curses, still wearing the bloodied white dress that she had been murdered in, she is connected to him in ways that neither of them could have envisaged.
There wasn’t enough time to read Anna Dressed in Blood the night I bought it. I had work the next day and had to show at least some signs of coherency. So, of course, I peeked at the first chapter. Then the next. Responsibility flew out the window and more chapters ensued. I woke up late, missed my bus and wandered around like a zombie at work the next day.
It was worth it.
Half-way into August, I can honestly say that so far this is the best novel I have read this year. This review, I am ashamed to say, will mostly consist of me squealing and telling everyone to buy Anna. Selfishly, because the more people who buy this the more likely Kendare Blake is to write more books. I desperately need more.
The characters Blake has created in Anna have a life and vitality of their own. They play off one another, each with their own goals that somehow work together. None of them are perfect, which makes their shining moments all the more brilliant. Cas, the main character, can lean towards arrogance. Killing ghosts is a higher calling that he thinks only he can answer, and he doesn’t like the idea of having anyone there to help him even when he needs it. He’s overconfident, sometimes too sure of his own abilities; but he’s also very sure of the abilities of the people around him, which balances it out.
Anna, too, was brilliantly realised. She’s powerful and she knows it. Her strength is something that she never apologises for and never backs down from. The fact that she owns her power and makes her own choices is something that I love as much as I love the fact that Cas acknowledges and respects her strength, both physically and mentally.
Usually I’m put off by unrealistic romances but, while the romance here did seem rushed, it also made sense on a rational level. The characters, while very different, complement each other in all the ways necessary. They both have unconventional lives and pasts that most people couldn’t understand. Their moral ground and ability to take responsibility for their actions puts them on even footing as well; making the romantic plot-line believable.
Timing was perfect with the plot and pacing of Anna. From the first chapter, the story drags readers in, refusing to release them even after the last page has been turned. The momentum of the novel is very natural, each previous scene leading up to the next and whether it’s action or character interaction holding readers, there are no points of the novel where my interest flagged.
The antagonist was the only thing that let the plot down. While he is central to the story and to Cas’ personal journey, he arrives quite late. As a villain he is horrifically creepy, but there is a definite shift in atmosphere with his arrival. With so much of a plot to explore even without him, it felt as though his character would be better utilised if he was introduced in the beginning of the second book.
Anna Dressed in Blood fully embraces some of the ghost story traditions while adding fresh twists that will delight ghost story lovers and YA fantasy lovers alike. Darker than an average teen read, it still has glimpses of hope bright enough to light the way. For anyone who likes Holly Black, this one is not to be missed.
Anna Dressed in Blood – Kendare Blake
Orchard (June 10, 2012)
ISBN: 9781408320723
