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My Pretty Pastel Style Book Launch & Fair

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On Friday 22nd March 2013 I celebrated the Launch of my 4th book Pretty Pastel Style by hosting a Book Launch & Fair Event (Pretty Pastel Style published by Ryland Peters & Small with photography by Catherine Gratwicke and Words by Joanna Simmons)
The venue I chose for the event was the beautiful Grade II listed Victorian Market House Building, situated in the centre of Kingston-Upon-Thames Ancient Market Place.

I would like to thank my Styling/Events Team for helping me give Market House a little extra style with bunting, floral tablecloths, decorations and a ton of David Austin Roses and for ensuring the day ran smoothly…
Big Thanks to Sally, Chantal, Grace, Jess, Kate & Jacquie and my Husband Dave
The special event opened at 11am and there was already a queue of lovely ladies waiting to come in and buy a copy of my new book and receive their Free Mollie Makes / The Simple Things Goodie Bag. One Lady had been waiting patiently for an hour and 1/2!! (The Goodie bags contained a copy of Mollie Makes inc Granny Chic postcards, a copy of The Simple Things, The Mollie Makes 2013 Calendar I Styled, Homespun Style Greetings card, Pipii Stripy straws and two cans of PlastiKote Pastel coloured Spray Paint) So well worth the wait!! We had 75 people come in during the 1st 40 mins so the Goodie bags literally went like hot cakes and so did copies of my new book Pretty Pastel Style!!
Market House’s beautiful Main Hall become home to the Pretty Pastel Fair, all the Stallholders I’d chosen to be part of the fair arranged their lovely handmade and vintage pieces on pretty tables around the space.
Some of the items for sale at the fair included Nicky Grace’s Gorgeous Things (Nicky’s lovely house was featured in my new book) Anna Wiscombe Wooden Birdies, Sesame & Lilly’s beautiful items…
Abigail Warner Stationary including her new Pretty Pastel Card sets, Love Lane Vintage lovelies, Wild Willow floral posies..
Clover’s Closet’s floral padded hangers and cushions, Peach Blossom Party supplies, Mabel & Bird printed cushions and lavender hearts/clouds/birds, Vicky Trainor signs and hoops (She made me a Pretty Pastel Style hoop which is in the book!!)
Felt Mountain Studios cards & Prints, Jane Clucas vintage fabric purses, Bunting and cushions by The U in Cute and lots of lovely things from Mia Fleur. Thank you to all the stallholders for being part of the fair.
Thank you to everyone who bought copies of Pretty Pastel Style and my other books, Bazaar Style, Romantic Style & Homespun Style it was lovely to meet you and have a little chat.
The Antichamber room next to the main hall became the Pop Up Vintage Tea Room for the day, where the very lovely Jacquie served up free Tea’s to our guests in my collection of vintage Teacups and Saucers. We laid out little tables and chairs so it felt like a cafe and gave people a place to stop, take a seat have a hot drink and a piece of cake…
My Friend Laura set up her Cakey Bakes Cakes Stall in the Tea room, she’d been busy making cupcakes, cakepops, victoria sponges, carrot cake and a fabulous Iced Book Cake which was a big talking point at the event!
My lovely friend and fellow Pastel Fan Yvonne (We shot her lovely home in Belgium for the book) from Yvestown blog came over from Belgium for the event, she was doing Crochet workshops in one corner of the tea room and selling her pretty yarns. 

Thanks Yvonne for hosting the Crochet Workshops I know lots of people enjoyed learning from you including my Mum!
Everyone who came along to the event had the chance to enter a Free Prize Draw to WIN the Somerby Blue Victoria Pendelton Classic- Style bike which I feature in my new book courtesy of Halfords. I picked out the winner from hundreds of entries which had been popped in my old suitcase and the winner on the night was Holly from Nicholas & Steele!!    
The lovely team at PlastiKote where also there with a stall full of pastel ideas for using their spray paints to revamp second-hand items including glass cakestands, wooden items and plactic plant pots. I used some of their pastel sprays in my new book. Aswell as the free cans for the Mollie Makes Goodie Bags they were also giving out free samples through-out the day. There was quite a buzz around their stand with bloggers being inspired to do spray paint projects and sharing them on their blogs – I can’t wait to see everyone’s spray paint revamps!! Thanks PlastiKote it was great to have you all there.

It was a wonderful day, thank you to everyone who made it along, it was great to see so many locals aswell as vistors from further afield – inc Holland, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bath, Leicestershire and Ireland to name a few! It was wonderful to see my old college friend Sophie after 11 years!! Also grat to be supported by my Parents, Sister, Husband, Mother-inlaw, Father inlaw & brother inlaw. I say a huge thank you to Mollie Makes and The Simple Things for supporting the event and not only offering up the 20 goodie bags but also coming along in force!! Look out for their review of the day issue 27 of Mollie Makes out on 10th May 2013. I also enjoyed meeting fellow stylist Stephanie Bateman-Sweet and it was great to see my nearby friends, Zeena Shah, Flowerona, Torie Jayne and Caroline from 91magazine. It was also fab to see my lovely photographer friends Debi Treloar (who I worked with on my previous 3 books) Catherine Gratwicke who photographed Pretty Pastel Style and Sussie Bell, Emily Quinton & Sally Crane who all took lots of lovely photos at the event. Thanks to Lisa Sykes Prima magazine Editor for coming along and last but not least David Austin Roses for the wonderful Roses!! (The above images are a selection shot by Sussie Bell, Emily Quinton, Sally Crane, Yvonne Eijkenduijn and me on my iphone!)



Big Thanks to everyone who tweeted about the event #prettypastelstyle, posted images on Instagram and left sweet comments on Facebook.  If you missed the event and want to buy signed copies of any of my books they are available to order here

To see more images from the event click here and for more reviews of the event check out these links:-
Mollie Makes Editor Lara‘s Sunday Best Blog 
91 magazine editor – Patchwork Harmony Blog 
Flowerona Blog
Faded Rose Vintage (The lady at the front of the Queue!) 
Mia Fleur
Yvestown
The Linen Garden 
Sally Crane
Found Now Home 
HenHouse Homemade

(Please send me your links if you have also posted about the event – thanks Selina)

Thank you finally to my publishers who helped me host the event and for buying me a gorgeous bouquet to celebrate – great to have both Lauren’s & Jess there on the day!

Comments(0)

  • March 27, 2013, 6:59 am  Reply

    It's times like this when I wish I was living back in the UK. Look's like it was a wonderful day. x

  • March 27, 2013, 7:44 am  Reply

    So sorry I could not be there, especially now I see these gorgeous pics!

    x Iris

  • March 27, 2013, 8:28 am  Reply

    I had planned going there but in the end something came up and I couldn't go…
    🙁

  • March 27, 2013, 9:34 am  Reply

    It looks like a wonderful party!

    Congratulations!

  • March 27, 2013, 9:45 am  Reply

    I just knew it would be good! Glad everyone had such a fantastic time only sorry I couldn't make it.
    Nicky
    x

  • March 27, 2013, 4:33 pm  Reply

    I was so sorry to miss it! Looks like a wonderful time was had by all. Love the venue too and used to live very nearby. Minerva ~

  • March 28, 2013, 4:24 pm  Reply

    selina!

    your fair and book launch looks like it was the most beautiful day and i love how you share and note and link every detail here on your blog.

    you are inspiring! you ROCK! you are my hero!

    with love and awe …

    xo
    elyse

  • August 17, 2013, 8:07 am  Reply

    Those flowers are absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to read 'Pretty Pastel Style'!

    Sara Neely

  • August 17, 2013, 8:07 am  Reply

    Such a wonderful photos.=D

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