Recipe Weekend: Recipe for Happiness?

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Schiffer Publishing, via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own.

Well in our world, you can NEVER have too much bling,
which makes our kids VERY happy indeed!

Literally the pitfall of Irish dancing anymore, is the amount of crystal beads EVERYWHERE! But luckily for me, I had watched quite a few episodes of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, so I knew it could be worse (LOL), but I had also learned about Sondra Celli, and HOW to bling! So when I heard she had a new book coming out, I couldn't WAIT to read it!

Bling!: The Uncommon Crystal Couture World of Sondra Celli

Synopsis:

Welcome to a behind-the-scenes look at the style and studio of renowned designer and Gypsy dress maker Sondra Celli. Known for the jaw-dropping couture she creates on the hit television series My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding, the “Queen of Bling” adds crystal brilliance to everything from tuxedos to Converse sneakers to pet accessories. Here, combining fashion insights and how-to techniques, she shares fascinating details of her early design hits and misses, her family's role in her work, and the sacrifices she made as a struggling designer in the Big Apple. Sondra teaches you how to create 14 bling-tastic projects of your own: umbrellas, corsets, neckties, baby shoes, baseball caps, flip flops, and more. She also dishes about what happens behind the scenes of her TV show, how she began designing for the Gypsy community, and the pressures of creating dresses using materials like candies, dollar bills, and real flowers.

Review:

Part auto biography, part how-to, this is a great look at how Celli's career came to be, and more importantly WHY her clients love her SO much! It was really great seeing so many photos, and recognizing that Celli has been around a lot longer, and has more designer cred, than you realize from watching the TV show. She has a great troop of workers,and they roll out some pretty amazing designs! Note- ebook not so great when it comes to pixctures I would recommend getting the print copy of this book! The stories of behind the scenes at her shop and the TV show are too funny, and who knew she was the Queen of Cheesecakes? I love that she takes the extra time with her clients, AND her fans, even those that just drop in! You really feel like you get to know Sondra with this book!

Also included in the book is the 'how-to' bling section! Celli gives really great info not only on what makes Swarovski crystals SO amazing, but about the different types. Then she gives you info on recommended items to use, and WHY they use them (can you imagine putting THOUSANDS of crystals on just one dress? THAT is why they know they're stuff!). Then she goes step by step (with pictures!!!) about the different 'blinging' techniques they use,and how you can adapt them at home,for your own designs.

Bonus: By buying the book, you get a special discount on her SONDRA CELLI BLING KIT, which has everything you need to get started on Blinging out your wardrobe items! Together it would be a nice pre-order for Mom for Mother's Day (since the book comes out after), or for a fun graduation gift!

Bling Dat:

Here's an example from How to Bling out Your Shoes:

About the Author:

Renowned fashion designer and TV personality Sondra Celli creates jaw-dropping couture for clients all over the globe and for My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding. Former television producer Tisi Farrar has worked on talk shows, live event productions, and awards specials. Check out her website for more info on her fashions and apparel for purchase: http://www.sondracelli.com