Casa Bella’s wigs, laughter, trophies and murder
And so here we are, 2 days later (sounds like a film title doesn’t it).
The balloons have been deflated, the posters taken down, the jewels stolen and Casa Bella’s dining room returned to its usual state in anticipation of tomorrow’s formal business meeting. Casa Bella’s first Murder Mystery is over so what was it like?
When somebody asks me that question my first answer is BIG! Big anticipation, big fun, big outfits, big wigs, big laughs and big boobs! Oh, and some murder. Yes, this event, more than its predecessors, had all of the perfect ingredients for a fantastic evening and has got to be right up there with one of the best ever, but it wasn’t without its challenges.
Casa Bella’s Murder Mystery has been months in the planning, and by months, I don’t just mean the usual 3 months to plan the evening, prepare guest packs, plan the theme, source the props and design a menu but it’d already been postponed by an additional 2 months to make way for Casa Bella’s Devil’s Dinner Party. So you can imagine my horror when on the Tuesday before the Saturday event the main character (and victim for the evening) called to tell me that he could not attend as he had other plans hundreds of miles across the world and they clashed.
Now, normally, I’d just ‘adapt and overcome’ however, on this occasion, it wasn’t that easy because I couldn’t see an easy way of finding somebody in days who was willing to play the compulsory character and, um, die! At first, my lovely niece came up with the concept of dressing as a man. I actually considered the suggestion for a while but when I thought about it, I just couldn’t. The character is based on Pamela Anderson’s ex, rocker hubby Tommy Lee. Now, if anybody has seen that man, you’ll know that a pretty 17 year old girl with a drawn on moustache, and a wig (that looked like a prop from the Psycho film set) simply wasn’t going to cut the mustard. No, there was only one thing for it; I’d have to cancel the event.
It was Wednesday and I was just trying to work out how I was going to deliver the news to the guests, many of which, I knew were really looking forward to it. But then my sister and I came up with a somewhat radical idea. Why not hire an actor? Okay, so maybe that would have been a tad OTT but we had the next best thing. I’d already rehired one of the butlers from Casa Bella’s Devil’s Dinner party whom we all liked very much, and I knew Lee was the kind of guy who would turn his hand to most things if he could, so I made contact, gave him a the brief and warned him that he’d have to fly a bit by the seat of his pants and, well, follow my lead as we’d have to pretty much make some of it up as we went along. Lee’s answer, ‘be happy to help if he could’. We were back in business!
So, I deleted the guest message that I’d already started to draft and instead turned my fingers to a full evening’s brief for the man who was not only going to be our butler for the evening but was also going to mingle as a dinner companion, a character and a victim!
And so, disaster averted, the show really went on. Saturday came and although still somewhat disappointed that my best friend was unable to
make the event, I donned my costume (third time lucky, the first two did not fit!) and transformed myself into JonVolta who was clearly modelled on the famous John Travolta although, with wig, I ended up looking more like Elvis (in his worse and plumpier years).
Some of the room decorations didn’t quite go to plan. E.g. the fact that I wanted to line up popcorn bags along the windows (with lights in them) for that ‘screen’ feel but the miserable gits at Cineworld told me that they wouldn’t give nor sell the empty bags to me as they were part ‘of stock’. They did, however, very kindly give me permission to buy the bags for £3 something each as long as they were filled with popcorn! Needless to say, I politely declined; if I wanted to surround myself with bags of stale popcorn, I would have visited them sooner. It was too late to buy the bags I wanted online so we ended up instead with a mad dash to the local store for bags of another well known brand instead. Also, the self-illuminating balloons I bought along with a canister of helium decided not to play ball either; the balloons kept on descending back to earth too soon! Online reviews confirmed this was a common defect so, in the end, I had to leave inflating the balloons to the last possible moment, and they just about made it to dinner before kamikazeing themselves onto the dining table and surrounding area.
So, 19:30 arrived as did all of our guests, wearing some hilarious costumes and some wonderful smiles. None knew what to expect from a murder mystery but they all dove into the spirit of the evening, and whilst all of the Casa Bella events have been fun, I don’t think any have been as hilarious, especially when I announced the SKITS.
The skits were a diversion from the main theme of the evening (the murder). Guests were grouped and given clues (or a premise) upon which to base their idea for a SKIT to last no longer than 2 minutes. Much to my delight, everybody jumped into the spirit of things, and if you want to see a smidgen of what I’m talking about, check out some segments (and the laughter) on Casa Bella’s YouTube channel and click on the ‘Sausage Trailer.
MATTHEW AINSLIE was on top form as the pirate, Capn’ Jack, AKA the character Donnie Jepp. Not only did his costume look excellent but Matt played the character brilliantly, both in the SKIT and overall and it’s probably why he went on to win the trophy for BEST COSTUME. Well done, Matt! At last, well deserved recognition for all your hard work. Matt was also the only guest to correctly guess who murdered poor Tommy Pea. ‘.
The star of the evening though had to be our butler, LEE DIDDI, who replaced Tom Payne in the role of arrogant rocker, Tommy Pea. Lee looked every part the manly superstar but also go into touch with his feminine side when he played a camp reader on a visit to the local library in search of ‘feminine’ books. Lee won himself and the rest of his group, ANNA PRATT AND COLIN DARRINGTON, the coveted trophy for BEST SKIT. Well done! And, of course, when he wasn’t’ doing that, he also adopted the role of ghost for the evening for it was TOMMY PEA’S character who was murdered. Lee had the dining room in f
its of laughter when he returned at the appropriate time smeared in white make up, wearing a T shirt stating ‘I’ve just been murdered at Casa Bella and all I got was this lousy T shirt’ and holding up a sign informing everybody that they had murdered him. Lee then proceeded to spend what was left of the evening as a ‘mute ghost’. Quite handy really, considering that, since his arrival, did not abandon his primary duty which was to assist with serving my sister’s delicious food as well as ensuring that we were very well taken care of and watered for the evening. Hats off to you, Lee, you really earned your money and maybe even a place on our white list. 
So, all’s well that ends well. Casa Bella successfully managed its latest event despite some challenges, and I, for
one, am delighted with the result. I embarked on the murder mystery concept with some trepidation for I knew that many of the assembled guests had not attended one before which meant that the outcome but truly unknown. However, they stayed true to their briefs which were to forget about acting and focus only delivering clues and, primarily, on having a good time. They did not disappoint, joining in on the spirit of the evening and hilariously ‘shining’ in their respective characters.
So my wish came true and hopefully so will those made by our guests on the evening, thanks to Casa Bella’s wishing tree. I wanted something a bit quirky to adorn the table this time, that’s why I opted for a variation of the traditional wedding tree and instead affectionately dubbed ours, ‘the wishing’ tree, the branches of which were bejewelled with miniature jars of angel dust, each colour representing a different wish for the girls as they plucked it from the tree. The wish is then renewed each time the angel (glitter) is applied to their body. For the men, there were Italian bracelets symbolising the same, each time they are worn.
If I’m totally honest, based on some of the challenges of organising this event, I wasn’t in a hurry to host another Casa Bella experience any time soon because I had lost the belief that the energy to plan, the drive to innovate and the will to overcome more setbacks outweighs the rewards but all friends on Saturday night (old and new, because there were a couple of new ones) reminded me exactly why I do make the effort; it’s all for those important people that orbit my world. Each and every one of them brings me something new, be it a kind word to remind me I am loved, a comforting shoulder when I’m not at my best, a belly shaking laugh when it’s most needed or even a life lesson or two when I least expect it, these people make my life what it is. To have the opportunity to share my existence on this earth with them, to create memories, is to be blessed and something that should be appreciated as often as possible.
Right now, I don’t know if and when the next Casa Bella event will take place but I comfort myself with the fact that those who matter have already received and accepted their invite to the next major event of 2012 due to take place in June; the rebranding of my company, CGA Enterprise Solutions. The gala evening will be worthy of a Casa Bella experience and will mark a major milestone in my life, but the most beautiful part is that those people who orbit my world will be there to make the memory with me and, in the final analysis that’s all that matters.
A week of premiers
Just under a week to go and, of course, sod’s law that on one of my busiest weeks, I decide to get a cold.
Although the show must go on, right? And that it will. 
Things kick off with a major business partner meeting tomorrow and then, later in the week, my first convention as new Managing Director. The event is hosted by a major supplier (one of the biggest software houses in the world) and will feature many of my peers (competitors) who will no doubt be checking out the new kid on the block who’ll most likely resemble a vampire movie extra with blood shot eyes from all the sneezing! Oh well.
Once that public challenge is over, attention will then turn to Casa Bella’s first Murder Mystery scheduled to take place next Saturday. Interestingly, out of the 10 guests, it appears that I’ll be the only one to have previously attended a murder mystery ( and no, not talking about one involving the Metropolitan Police). For anybody who has staged an event before, these can be quite challenging as they involve a series of cue cards, some props, a meal, oh and a murder!
Of course, add to that a Casa Bella twist and you suddenly have a mini production on your hands. This particular one happens to be set to the backdrop of a movie preview screening which means the characters have a lot of big egos and costumes! If anything, these, along with an array of wigs due to feature at the event, promise to deliver a lot of hilarity, and we’re all very much looking forward to it.
So, be sure to catch next Sunday’s blog post for the story and, of course, the pictures!
Stay well.
Casa Bella’s Devil’s Dinner party’s naked truth
So, what do Devils, semi naked men and a lot of scandalous revelations all have in common?
Give up? Why, Casa Bella’s Devil’s Dinner Party of course!
Yes, it’s just a week after the event and my legs are only just recovering from the ordeal since what started out as a dinner party for friends turned into a major stage production, of the likes I haven’t produced in over a decade.
Casa Bella’s Devil’s Dinner Party, based on ITV Studio’s production for Sky Atlantic, featured a dinner party for friends and family but with a wicked twist; me as the devil asking some intimate, thought provoking and sometimes moral dilemma type questions. Each and every guest had a chance to sit in ‘the chair’ where a preprinted question on a card awaited them. The rest of the group had to correctly guess the answer based solely on what they knew or had learned about that person. Correctly guess the answer and they’d collectively add £10 for the ‘Devil’s Purse’ . The total amount accrued throughout the evening would then become the prize for the guest voted ‘most popular’ by all other guests. Needless to say that much was learned about all those convened!
As if the above above wasn’t sensational enough, I decided to go one step further for this event and actually hire a pair of topless waiters! My 
motivation (apart from the fact that I fancied a pair of good looking ‘devil’s helpers’ for the evening) was to see the look on the face of ours guests when the door was opened to them by a paragon of physical fitness minus his top! Of course, it had the desired effect and more. Even whilst ensconced in my room ( as the devil I was unable to consort with any of the guests on the evening), I could hear cries of surprise and sighs of approval. Although, what started out as just a bit of fun (and eye candy) turned into welcome helping hands. The boys were very professional and clearly had done this job many times before. They easily slipped into their roles as butlers for the evening, tendering to our guests, me and the dirty dishes in the kitchen! Hiring them (although I wasn’t sure at the time) was one of my best decisions, as the evening turned out to be quite hard to stage with an immense array of logistical actions; cards on stage, cards off, music on, music off, lights up, lights down, dishes in, dishes out, and so on! There’s no doubt that, for me, the evening went from dinner party to a stage production, and my legs certainly didn’t enjoy all the standing around, hence why I’d like to take a moment to express my deepest admiration and respect for all of you whose profession calls for much time on your feet!
That said, I am content that the evening appeared to be well received, with everybody getting into the spirit of things, to the point where, once started on a topic, not even the devil’s presence could stop the assembled guest’s debate, not even my deepest bellowing in my most guttural voice would scare them into silence (they obviously haven’t seen me angry). Secretly, I was happy; to me, there’s always been a certain sense of satisfaction at being the point of origin for a debate that really gets people talking, and when it includes the psychological element of getting to know each other then it’s even better.
I did miss not being able to mingle with friends/guests throughout the evening though. It was somewhat strange to see them all assembled but not be able to join them as me (for I was playing the role of Antonio, The Devil), at least not until the end of the evening when all questions were asked and the vote for ‘most popular guest’ had taken place.
Speaking of which, I was hoping that the results of the voting process this time might have turned out differently but, unsurprisingly, it did not, and I found myself recounting the voting forms but it was true; the guest voted ‘most popular’ and winner of the Devil’s purse (£50, out of a potential £130) was none other than my good friend, Mr Thomas Payne who took well to accentuating his everyday role of charmer and was quite blatantly seen ‘working’ the table throughout the evening. Tom’s charms were closely followed by friend and neighbour, Trevor Bartlett, who was second, and my lovely niece, Anna Pratt, who took 3rd place!
Although I guess the real drama of the evening came with my most poisonous question; one guest (in the actual words I used on the night) “like Judas in the garden of Gethsemane will turn traitor”, and indeed she did. My beloved Sandra Taylor-Wix was unlucky enough to select the ‘marked’ card which meant she had to publicly identify her most favourite and her least favourite guest of the evening. It was an agonising moment for Sandra who could feel the breath of the devil on her as she was pushed to make a decision. Eventually, she identified her close friend, my beloved sister, Francesca Marturano-Pratt as her least favourite guest (yes you can imagine how that went down) but Sandra had played a tactical move knowing that her good friend would forgive her (eventually) whilst somebody else (in the true spirit of the game) may have seen her ‘differently’. And so it was, by Sandra’s vote, Francesca became ineligible to win the Devil’s Purse. However, I wasn’t quite done with them yet. Before the night was over, the tables were turned again, when the devil (AKA me) gave Francesca a choice, I presented her with a sealed envelope, explaining that it contained a ‘gift’ or a ‘curse’. As the evicted guest, Francesca had a choice to take the envelope or pass it onto Sandra. Francesca chose to keep the envelope and naturally breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out to be a £20 Amazon gift voucher.
So, all’s well that ends well. Indeed, everybody appeared to have fun and, as always, love the food that was, this time, lovingly served by our 
topless butlers which, if Francesca has any say, will most likely make a reappearance at one of our next events, interestingly I believe it’s their ability to clear up and wash dishes and not their looks that may be her motivation.
I, on the other hand, was glad for the help ‘back stage’ but most importantly that we managed to pull off yet another Casa Bella event, probably one of the most ambitious? And yes, I know that I say that most of the time but I guess that’s because each one brings its own challenges. This one, more so because I don’t believe buying a new company and trying to ‘stage’ a dinner party event are compatible. Indeed, I went into this party with some trepidation for I knew it had not received the same level of attention as most of the other dinner parties. I really struggled ‘learning my lines’, in fact, I would say that it would have been safer simply to edit my whole script and replace most words for that ever useful F one. God (or should that be my niece and my sister?) knows, I used it enough times during rehearsals.
There are way too many photos but if you’re interested in seeing more, then visit and LIKE Casa Bella’s Facebook page and, who knows, next time, it could be you!
a Different Angle’s Top 10 favourite posts of 2011. Which one’s yours?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Here’s the first post for 2012 and it’s going to be dedicated to 2011! So much for not looking back…. 
Well, I just felt compelled to put finger to keyboard when I discovered an email from WordPress in my inbox stating that whilst I was busy celebrating the arrival of 2012, they were busy crunching number and diessecting a Different Angle’s blog statistics for 2011.
And it made for an interesting read!
Apparently:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 123,300 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 45 sold-out performances for that many people to see it!
In 2011, there were 91 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 109 posts. There were 288 pictures uploaded.
The busiest day of the year was October 31st. The most popular post that day was Casa Bella Halloween’s Video published! . Which is amazing since a limited amount of people were actually able to attend yet thousands of you actually watched the video online.
The ‘dossier’ then lists the most popular articles of 2011… the top 10 are listed below (in no particular order)…. which one is your favourite?
- Christmas, Loved or Loathed. How does it make you feel?
- My Hands on ALL new Range Rover Evoque but my lips are sealed
- Controversial Manuscript; to get a dusting
- Facebook Friends; isn’t it time for a good culling?
- Surrounded by Negative People? Read on.
- Living With The Devil; a true story of Narcissism
- Tears, Tantrums : Tiaras; Casa Bella’s HOIME Awards
- Stealing Your Identity is Easy; here’s how
- The Death of Marriage
- Smile; these are actual London Underground announcements
S0, did yours make the top 10?
The one I find most interesting is Living with the Devil. It received a staggering amount of reads! Clearly inflated by Google searches on the subject. This is obviously a very important subject to many of you! Of course, I couldn’t be more thrilled as the article is an excerpt from my manuscript, Coming Up For Air, which I’ve vowed to return to this year.
Don’t forget, our most recent posts can all be browsed from the a Different Angle Facebook page. Simply like the page and click on the NEWS tab. And if you’re not already a fan, LIKE US now by using the link to the right.
Thanks very much for reading all of the posts in 2011… I’ll be working hard on making sure that all of the 2012 posts are equally as interesting. And, of course, if you have any favourite subjects you’d like me to write about, simply send an email.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Casa Bella announces murderous dinner party experience
It’s Friday!
The end of another week and one step closer to Christmas! Love it or loath it, the season to be jolly is just around the corner.
You may have noticed that I’ve been fairly quiet over the past week, that’s because I’ve been busy wrestling with a lovely bout of shingles! That’s right, I was lucky enough to discover the red rash last week, and have been enjoying what feels like the equivalent of somebody branding me with cigarettes ever since.
Luckily, things seem to be get
ting back to normal now which means I’m able to focus on other much more exciting things like Casa Bella’s next event!
Now, I know that my previous posts talked about a potential charity event. Well, we (my sister and I) have been thinking about this and have come up with an aswesome and somewhat unique theme, especially for this area. However, the jury is still out about what time of year it should be hosted.
Sadly, the collaboration I’d previously announced on this blog hasn’t quite worked out either, which means we’re no longer on a deadline. The net result; we’re still thinking of staging a charity event but it won’t be the next one.
Casa Bella’s Halloween was a great success, and it has inspired a dinner party experience that we believe is way overdue and much more in keeping with the dark month of February.
That’s right, Casa Bella’s next event will take place on the anniversary of this year’s Masquerade… yes, well we couldn’t let those Venetians have all the fun. We like to think that whilst they’re busy partying it up in beautiful Venice, we’re busy generating our own tantalising intrigue with a sumptuous menu featuring an array of beverages, along with a good slice of….dmm…dmmm dmm (that’s supposed to be dramatic music) murder!
That’s right…. Casa Bella’s next event will be a Murder Mystery currently pencilled for Saturday 25th February 2012 and will follow in the hugely atmospheric footsteps of Casa Bella’s Halloween (if you weren’t lucky enough to attend, read about it here)
Exclusive invites to Casa Bella’s Murder Mystery will be emailed to lucky in boxes over the weekend. If you aren’t lucky enough to receive an invite but would like to find out what all the Casa Bella fuss is about, we may have a treat for you. To be considered for an exclusive invite, visit Casa Bella’s Facebook page and LIKE it to become a fan. You’ll then be added to our waiting/standby list which means that if a space becomes available, you could be joining us for a dinner party experience like no other.
Just beware, ‘everybody has a motive and everyone has a plan’.
Casa Bella Halloween’s Video published!
Naturally, only a few of you could attend Casa Bella’s Halloween but that doesn’t mean that many of you can’t see excerpts from the video, featuring some of the actual sound effects and music from the evening.
Also, check out the spooky image! Whilst editing the video, I noticed the shadow standing behind me! What’s up with that?
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Books for Casa Bella Halloween’s BEST GHOST STORY winner
Guests of Casa Bella’s Halloween were asked to bring with them a ghost story.
Out of all of the stories told on the evening of the 29th October 2011, Selina Daley’s ’Baby Monitor’ managed to elicit the most goosebumps! Selina wins a £20 of Amazon voucher which she plans to spend on books for her studies.
In the meantime, you can read Selina’s story below. Happy Halloween!
This very story that you are about to read is very true and is up to the reader whether they shall believe.
On a very normal evening three women were watching very normal TV, myself, my sister and my mother. My elder sister was staying with us at the time with her two year old daughter, who was fast asleep upstairs in her cot. We sat with the baby monitor on until the room went very chilly and cold so suddenly. I felt uncomfortable and so made my leave to my room. My sister switched off the monitor and she too, quickly followed by mother went up to bed.
Laying in bed I suddenly heard the shrill cry of a new born baby on the monitor. My head quickly tried to rationalise this noise… It’s my niece; it’s the television I said. But none of those accounted for the clear sound of crying coming from down stairs. I was rooted to my bed, my fingertips ached with coldness and though I knew I needed to investigate I could not move. Then suddenly my sister burst into my room, she too could hear the cries. So we stood on the landing the three of us, listening to the ever urgent cries. My mother point blank refused to come with us, so my sister leads the way downstairs. Halfway down I suddenly heard the soft voice of a woman on the monitor. ‘Ssh baby, don’t cry, it’s all ok mummy’s here’ my heart quickened as I realised it was the voice of my sister; I went ice cold all over. As we got to the living room everything went silent. The monitor was switched off. My sister turned to me aghast, ‘oh god I swear I heard my own self’. We never spoke of it again.
It was two years later that I realised the significance of that night when I was sat downstairs on a very normal night. My sister had unexpectedly fallen pregnant again. Upstairs was her four year old and the newborn whom I heard cry on the baby monitor, my sister went upstairs and then I heard her softly saying ‘ssh baby, don’t cry, it’s all ok mummy’s here’. SELINA DALEY
Casa Bella’s Halloween is a monster success!
It’s the day after the night before… and what a night!
After more than 3 months of planning, Casa Bella’s Halloween took place last night, and I have to say that when I set about designing the concept, I
couldn’t have wished for such a successful conclusion to the evening. Success being judged by the reaction of our guests and the simultaneous execution of multiple tasks which included lighting over 30 different types of candles, switching on over twenty battery candles, activating 40 electric lights, and drowning a whole coffin in a tidal wave of dry ice, to name a few!
I guess the reason why I was able to pull all of this together was because of the Casa Bella team, which included my sister, Francesca, my niece, Anna, and my best friend, Tom. They all rallied around when I needed them most and we managed to (I believe) pull off the best ‘wow’ factor of any Casa Bella event yet. Luckily, much of the imagery of the evening, including the reactions of our guests has been caught for posterity and published to the Casa Bella Facebook website (address below).
What couldn’t be caught in stills or in moving pixels (yes, video cameras rolled) was the atmosphere brought by the fortuitous gale that howled around Casa Bella shaking the collection of pumpkin lanterns hanging outside of the haunted mansion and over the cursed grave, all viewable from the thrones of our guests that encircled a life size coffin that bubbled like a cauldron and spewed mist, nor the specially mixed score that ran throughout the evening, featuring a through-the-door moaning gale, an eerie music box, a few ghosts, thunder, rain and the odd slamming door (again, to name a few). This was the ideal soundtrack to the collection of ghosts stories penned by each guest specially for the event with the hope of winning the title and prize of BEST STORY. This award was eventually snatched up by Selina Daley from an equally impressive collection of creepy, gruesome and sometimes witty accounts. Selina’s real life account of premonition will be published to this blog as soon as it is made available by its author. Selina also wins a £20 Amazon voucher which will be winging its way to her over the next few days.
Of course, Halloween wouldn’t be the same without its costumes and, in true Casa Bella style, we were also handing out an award for
Best Costume. It seemed to me that all of our guests were very keen on getting their hands on our skeleton trophy, judging by the quality of some of the costumes and make up. I was really blown away by some of the characters. We had vampires, demons, zombies and even one of the most terrifying depictions of a reaper that I have ever seen! However, it appears that the most impressive of all was….. well, mine! Yes, I was lucky enough to be voted BEST COSTUME WINNER for my depiction of Nosfertu. What do you think? Needless to say, I was somewhat choked when I counted out the votes. In all honesty, I really was not expecting the win! And yes, before you ask, I kept all of the so called ballot papers just in case of query. So, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the hideous jury for their most generous votes. It’s very much appreciated! Clearly, it was the smile that did it.
So, now, nearly 24 hours later, the Casa Bella entertainment’s room has been restored to its former glory; the wallpapers gone, the hideous portraits of mutant ancestors, the coffin that struck fear into the superstitious heart of my beloved sister has been folded and neatly packed away, and with it, chunks of plaster from the dining room ceiling! Yes, my dysfunctional relationship with Mr Sellotape ended acrimoniously when I decided to rip him down and throw him out. Which is rather ironic considering I had to ‘refresh’ the sellotape on those walls no less than 6 times as the paper kept falling down! Oh well, he’s been evicted now and I’ll have to call my trusty chum to ‘touch’ up those walls with some paint, ready for the next event.
Yes, presently, there are plans (not yet formalised) for another Casa Bella ‘experience’ in the New Year. For those of you that may not have caught my previous post. Read all about it here. The announcement of this event received unprecedented interest. Read about it here. I’ve already held initial talks with Andrew R Hubbard about a potential Casa Bella Charity event in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Which means that if you’ve been intrigued with Casa Bella and our dinner party experiences and have wanted to attend then you may well get your wish. Our dinner parties have been strictly by invitation only (for family and friends). However, in order to raise funds for Andrew’s charity, we’re considering throwing open our doors and selling tickets to our next event. So, if you’ve always fancied a unique dinner party experience and like the idea of supporting a worthwhile cause then visit Casa Bella’s Facebook page and LIKE it. We’ll be announcing further details about the next event on this blog and on Casa Bella’s Facebook page where you’ll also be able to see more pictures of last night’s spooktacular event. Visit and LIKE the Facebook page now. Tickets for the next event will be limited (we already have reserved bookings) so if you want to be in with a chance to get a seat, you’ll have to act fast!
Who knows, I could be writing and thousands could be reading about YOU in a few months time!
Until then, “take good care of yourselves, and each other”.
Casa Bella’s Halloween; the nightmare before Christmas
So, it’s the day before Casa Bella’s Halloween but it feels oddly like the night before Christmas! Although, I guess a more apt depiction would be,
the day before the show; finally, after more than 3 months in the making (or rehearsal), Casa Bella’s Halloween is here, and what an event it will be.
Who would have thought that when we started these dinner parties nearly a year ago, they’d turn into these mammoth productions, of concept, design, rehearsal and performance. They’ve moved beyond ‘dinner with friends’ and are more like ‘dinner and a show’, which each, apparently, outdoing the other. But I guess that’s all part of the process, our guests often say, “I can’t see how you’re going to top this next time”, and my response (albeit subconsciously), as a bead of sweat forms on my brow is, “nor can I”.
I know that the motivation is most likely in this detail; for a non professional actor, the reward of 3 months rehearsal is to tread the boards, albeit for a few nights, for us (my sister and I), it’s to see the look on the faces of our guests, the moment they walk into the entertainment room and, not unlike children on Christmas morning, be affected by the conception and construction that came before them.
I know it all sounds a bit ‘grand’ and perhaps not everybody’s cup of tea but it certainly is mine. Somebody said to me the other day, “when you get involved in something, you go all out, don’t you?” I believed the statement was a compliment but I nonetheless couldn’t help but wonder if it was some kind of an insult; as if he was saying “cor, you really do make a fuss, don’t you?” If that was the case then the answer would have been “Yes, I don’t just ‘do’ dinner.” I guess that’s always been me though, every creative project I’m involved in has to have an edge, after all, how else is one going to leave an impression? Now, I know (or truly believe) this person was actually paying me a compliment and that I was merely being paranoid but it got me thinking about who I am and why I need to embrace regular challenges in life, I guess it’s because I believe that if I don’t then I’m dead, albeit in spirit.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to be said for ‘having a few friends round for dinner’, no thrills, just good food, company and conversation but, personally, I’d get bored with this after a while because, not unlike a relationship, it’d become mediocre; neither of us (host or guest) challenged out of our everyday comfort zones and encouraged to do something out of the norm, whether that be putting on a tuxedo or writing a ghost story and reading it out to a relatively intimate gathering of people only to then have it published to thousands. (Yes, this is what our guests have signed up to). Sounds scary but it’s all part of the process. A lot of effort goes into these events but our guests (well, most of them at least) don’t hold back either because they too believe in this mutually beneficial trade as it reminds us of the present actuality; we’re alive and capable of things long ago consigned to the hedonism of youth. A good example of this is February’s Casa Bella Masquerade, when we asked each of our guests to bring a talent to be performed for their fellow guests. The invite struck fear in most but the result was an evening of eclectic and untapped talent that many of our guests didn’t even think they possessed and it’s beautiful how, even now, they describe the exhilaration of the event.
So, Casa Bella’s Halloween may have endured it’s own challenges; drop out guests, collapsing props, the destruction of treasured ornaments, spooky goings on, oh and sleepless nights, all for one evening but will it all be worth it…..? Check out Sunday’s a Different Angle blog post for the story and, of course, the pictures!
Casa Bella to open its doors to public!
It’s the week leading up to Casa Bella’s Halloween and, in my usual inimitable way, I’m stressing that not all of my ducks are standing to attention, indeed some of the ducks haven’t even been hatched yet, and, a week today, we’re supposed to be in the throws of terrorising guests, or being terrorised! So, there’s much to do, including unfinished costumes for disorganised friends! Next week is going to be a very busy indeed with last minute shopping and make up, lots of make up! Yeah, well I had to satisfy that secret fetish some way, don’t I?
There have been some spooky goings on at Casa Bella this week with collapsing props, the shattering of one of my favourite (and expensive) candelabras and things mysteriously movingaround the room. We’re certainly getting into the ‘spirit’ of things! It’s all part of the process I guess, that or we actually have an uninvited guest!
On the upside, today three people (who will not be attending the event next week), had a special privileged preview of the refurbishments, they appeared quite impressed, and that was during the light of day… so my fingers are well and truly crossed that my vision will be realised at night. Be sure to stop by next Sunday for pictures!
So who were these people blessed with rare and exclusive access to Casa Bella pre event? Well, one of them was my cherished electrician who was kind enough to give up his Saturday morning to carry out some last minute light installations in our events room, and the other couple? Well, they say that people ‘crash’ into our lives for a reason. I’m a strong believer of this and that’s why, despite the somewhat hectic schedule, I cleared my afternoon, to make a new friend, well, two new friends; two complete strangers walked into my home and into my life, and I’m delighted to report that it was a charming experience.
Okay, so they didn’t come in off the street, I’d actually been corresponding with one of them for quite some time now. He is a journalist (even if I can’t help but think that he doesn’t truly believe that himself, at least , not yet) and she is, wait for it, a Midwife! That’s right, a midwife. And you would be forgiven for picturing an ‘old bird’, sporting a somewhat matronly demeanour and perhaps a few badly worn years, the reality is quite the opposite; a girl barely in her twenties who wouldn’t be too out of place on the cover of Maxim. Indeed, this engaging and unassuming duo, destined for marriage next year, make for a very handsome couple indeed.
So what is about this couple that had me compelled to meet with them in the midst of falling fabrics, misbehaving sellotape and disappearing lanterns? Well, Andrew R Hubbard has long been a contributor on Facebook’s St Neots page, and whilst we’ve corresponded by email, we’d never actually met, until today.
The reason for our meeting is Andrew’s pledge to run the Virgin London Marathon in April 2012. Andrew’s a ‘sporty’ guy but the motivation behind this latest initiative wasn’t just to work up a sweat but to work up some money for Alzheimer’s Resarch UK ( http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org). Andrew has first-hand experience of the harrowing effects of this disease through his namesake, Roy, his Grandfather; a man full of life (and jokes) whom Andrew witnessed become an alien of his former self. ”The money I work hard to raise can’t help Granddad but it can stop people who have his condition suffering and help the families of those with dementia too.”
And it was Andrew’s enthusiasm for this cause that drove me to want to meet the twenty-something year old to see how I could help.
Now, anybody who knows me knows that I’m not ‘into’ charities. Yes, I said that out loud. I’m a true believer of that old addage that ‘charity starts at home’ and by that I’m also including friends who are often ‘in need’ in one way or another. These ’causes’ mean the most to me, right now….or so I thought.
It would be fair to say that, over the past year, we’ve created somewhat of brand name for Casa Bella’s themed dinner party experiences, this is evidenced by the fact that we generally have to work to a waiting list. So why not use one of Casa Bella’s events to help raise funds for Andrew’s charity? This was the topic of our meeting after which we naturally concluded that it would indeed be an active way of making a contribution through something that we now have quite a bit of experience with.
Traditionally, Casa Bella events have only been open to close friends and strictly by invitation only so if you’ve read about our dinner party experiences and wanted to attend now’s your chance. That’s right, we’re throwing open Casa Bella’s doors and will be selling seats to our next exclusive dinner party experience in 2012. All net proceeds will go to Andrew’s charity and towards smashing his £2,000 target.
More details about Casa Bella’s dinner party experience to rival all others will be published here in due course. In the meantime, you can still contribute to Alzheimer’s Research UK’s crucial research by donating on Andrew’s fund raising page by clicking here. Remember, every little really does help, yes even £1! And, if like me, you’re not into the whole ‘charity thing’ then be sure to check out future posts for details of how to snap up a place at our next event for a dinner party experience like no other.
Our next meeting about this will take place in a few weeks time. Until then, Casa Bella’s Halloween will be the only thing on my mind for the next 6 days, besides sleeping of course because, in the now immortal words of Faithless, “I can’t get no sleep”. I wonder why!
Dark skies are upon us as preparations commence
So, it looks like I’m not the only one who’s running around trying to fit the last pieces of the puzzle (otherwise known as concept) into place. Casa Bella’s Halloween is just 20 days away, and the 31st October just a couple of days after that. The clocks will be changing soon which means the ‘dark side’ of the year is truly upon us. 
Some will be forgiven for thinking that I may be starting preparations a bit early but, when it comes to me, I’m the equivelent of your average supermarket with Christmas merchandise; start preparing months in advance. Although in my case, as my sister can vouch, I’m known for changing my mind days if not on the day before the event! And I can’t afford to be in that situation this time otherwise the whole ambience will be affected. I’m sorry I can’t say more about it now for there’s a danger that our eagle eyed guests will ‘guess’ what we have in store for them. ;-)
I spent most of the day yesterday, shopping for ‘last minute’ things and, as always, I’m already way over the self imposed budget! Well, there’s just so much ‘stuff’ out there. What’s a man to do? I’m sure our distinguished guests will appreciate it. I’ve further discovered that I’m soon to be reacquainted with my old friend Mr Sellotape. I thought he wouldn’t be invited to this gathering but it appears he’s going to be featuring heavily, at least behind the scenes. And we all know how that ended up at the HOIME Awards in June!
Today is food day. No, by that I don’t mean usual Sunday lunch, I mean bake and taste sessions. That’s right, we’re forgoing our traditional Sunday luncheon to instead sample from Casa Bella’s Halloween menu. Well, one has to ensure it’s appropriate after all. ;-)
My costume arrived this week… well, the first one did and I looked like a female extra from Star Trek. Needless to say, it was rapidly discarded in favour of something much more sophisticated, and I’m thrilled! Let’s just hope I can master the art of makeup application, extreme makeover style! (enough said on that).
Anyway, for me, not unlike many other souls out there, life is busy. In particular, the last few months of 2011 are to prove the most trying, as there is much happening that I’m actually bound by law from discussing. Needless to say that days and evenings are packed and when they aren’t, sleep is a welcome reaper.
This all means that my posts may not be as frequent as I like but things will change in the new year where I’m determined to return to writing which means that blog updates will also become more frequent.
Until then, don’t miss next week’s post about the true origins of Halloween.
Ghosts, boats and beauty; the Range Rover Evoque
There are few events in our lives that generate great anticipation and, in comparison to weddings, birthdays and other major family events, my visit
to the Southampton Boat Show next week with Platinum VIP tickets, courtesy of Range Rover, may not appear as momentous but it certainly feels that way for me.
My trip to the Southampton Boat Show marks the culmination of a two year journey as I’ll finally be able to climb behind a finished model of the Range Rover Evoque ( a car that I’ve waited for and followed from concept through to production).
Not only do my platinum VIP tickets grant me access to the event, generally favoured by affluent boat affectionados, but they’re my key to a series of other events which, I’m not ashamed to say, will pale into insignificance when compared to my invite to take the Evoque for an unsupervised drive through down town Southampton. That’s right, after all of these month, I and a friend of my choosing will be ‘unleashed’ with a model of this beautiful car with one of Range Rover’s generous statements, “bring it back when you’re done with it”. I anticipate that this would be never but I guess that’s somewhat fantastical, at least until I put down a deposit for a production model of my own. Will I? Won’t I? All will be revealed after next week.
In the meantime, adverts for my would be new vehicle have hit the small screen and if you haven’t been lucky enough to catch it yet. Here’s a link. http://youtu.be/P4dRHqWtWOI
Meanwhile, it’s 7 weeks to Casa Bella’s Halloween and if I said I was behind schedule it would be understatement. And I’m not sure if that
assessment is going to improve much if I spend my time blogging rather than researching, clicking, paying and assembling one of Casa Bella’s most eccentric dinner party experiences.
Oh, if only I could reserve my own container from the US. I guess I’m going to have to do it the hard way! What else is new?
And the winner of a FREE photo session is……….
So, here it is, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
Last month I declared war on ‘rip off photographers’ (see the original post here) when a friend of mine brought to my attention just how much she
was being charged for her daughter’s wedding pictures, and I set up a web page on Facebook called A DIFFERENT ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY, I then invited you to become a fan of the page and, to celebrate the launch, I decided to give away a free photo session to one of the page’s fans worth an approximate £700! ( I must be feeling very generous because I’ve been approached about donating a similar experience to charity).
Well, this weekend, I took those names and spun them through a washing machine (okay, not literally) and am really excited to be able to reveal that the winner is MATT AINSLIE!
…who just happens to be a friend of mine (yes, I know what you’re thinking and I know what he’s probably thinking) but he did ultimately enter the competition and his did by randomness get selected, that’s fair isn’t it? You don’t think I fixed it do you?
Of course you do!
So, what other option did I have but to conduct a second draw….. YES, you read correctly, I couldn’t possibly have you avid readers believing that I wasn’t fair. So, there’s not one but TWO lucky winners of the FREE photo session…. and that second person is (DRUM ROLL)….
KYLEE ASHWELL
Well done, Kylee!
Now, there are few formalities that we’ll need to get out of the way, you know, the small print and all. So if the lucky winners could please send an email mailbox@tonymarturano.com (within the next 30 days), we’ll get the ball rolling by exchanging the small print and eventually arranging a mutually convenient date for the shoot which you’ll be pleased to learn will take place right here, at my own Casa Bella personal studio.
As per all my photo sessions, I recommend that we meet at Casa Bella well in advance of the shoot to discuss exactly what kind of shoot we’re going to do, and what exactly will happen on the day.
Well done to the winners and thanks to everybody else who participated but, as you know, there can only be one winner, (or in this case two!) and who said I wasn’t a generous person!
Remember, a DIFFERENT ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY is facing up to ‘rip off’ photographers so if you have any event or would simply like some pictures of you and or yours then get in touch. Also, be sure to recommend our page (if you’re already a fan) or to LIKE out page on Facebook (button at the top right hand corner) as there’s a distinct possibility that we’ll be holding a similiar competition again and, who knows, next time, ‘it could be you’!
Casa Bella’s Come Dine With Us…. have you got what it takes?
Casa Bella recently announced that its next major event will take place this Halloween 2011.
But 3 months seems so far away, doesn’t it?
Well, it’s only 12 weeks but still, when it comes to having fun, next week isn’t soon enough. So we’ve thought about that, we’ve also been thinking about the numerous comments made by Casa Bella guests over the past year about return invites, and we’ve come up with what we believe is an ingenious solution; Casa Bella’s own Come Dine with Us.
The event will prove to be a fun packed bridge between now and our thrilling event in October 2011.
The concept is simple:
- 1 limousine
- 1 course
- 1 prize
- Limited time (to impress)
- Multiple locations!
That’s right…. here’s your chance to show us what a perfect host you can be but you’ll have to think creative; you’ll have a limited amount of time to feed, charm and solicit your guests’ votes to enable you to win the prize before everybody will need to climb back into the limousine and onto the next location.
Ahhhhhhhhh!
Yes, I can already hear the screaming and the questions:
“What if I can’t cook?”
You don’t have to be Michel Roux to win this challenge. You can prepare anything you believe is appropriate…from ornate jam sandwiches to luxurious canapés. There’s no specific budget or rule. You just need to be minded by the fact that your guests will be enjoying multiple courses throughout the evening. You’ll most likely be assigned a specific course (e.g. starter) so you just need to worry about portion control, presentation and taste!
“What if my home isn’t large enough to accommodate everyone?”
No problem. That’s what the limousine is for. Subject to time restrictions, you can host your event anywhere you see fit; from your back garden to the local park. The choice is yours. Whatever you believe will make the perfect surrounding to serve up your tasty morsels. But remember, the comfort of your guests is of paramount importance in order to secure their vote. (Each destination will be a closely guarded secret between you and our driver).
What if I don’t live locally?
Well, we wouldn’t want you miss out on this exciting challenge. You can either make arrangements with any local venue (e.g. pub) or we’ll gladly loan you the kitchen facilities at Casa Bella (some terms and conditions will apply).
The evening will culminate at Casa Bella where we’ll be serving coffee, chocolates and the winning results!
To opt in, simply click here to send an email confirming your name and any dates over the next two months when you are not available.
We’ll confirm competition date and important details once all contestants have been confirmed.
In the meantime, you can read more about Casa Bella’s Halloween by clicking here.
Casa Bella announces Halloween 2011 spooktacular! but that’s not all….
That’s right, the 29th October 2011 has been announced as the provisional date for Casa Bella’s next major event. 
We toyed with multiple ideas and themes and came up with a few that we believed would work very well but there’s only so much time. The ideas will keep. We figured that Halloween, at least in our household, tends to pass by fairly unnoticed. We’ve vowed to change that this year. The next three months will be used to craft a memorable and truly spooktacular experience, Casa Bella style. Previous guests will know that this means a night that is truly out of the ordinary, something that at this event is particularly appropriate.
As always, spaces are limited and we do have a waiting list to consider. However, we’re looking at a format for this event that may enable us to accommodate more guests but it’s still very early days and plans are yet to be solidified. Whatever format is decided, guests, YOU WILL SCREAM. Expect the unexpected.
Like all Casa Bella events, they are designed for friends/acquaintances which means attendance is by exclusive invitation only.
The trick on this occasion is to receive one of the email invites whilst the treat is definitely to attend. The question is…. Dare you receive an invite?
If you’re unlucky enough not to receive an invite on this occasion or simply can’t wait until October, Casa Bella is about to organise another event to bridge the gap.
Click here to find out more about Casa Bella’s Come Dine with Us. Have you got what it takes?
Tears, Tantrums & Trophies; Casa Bella’s HOIME Awards are a revelation
Okay, so maybe there weren’t any tantrums, not unless you count the incident where it was 19:29 (with official start at 19:30 and some guests already waiting)
and I discovered that the gate through which they were supposed to enter to walk the red carpet was SCREWED shut and not ‘cable tied’ as I had believed! Thankfully, that disaster was averted by Tom (best friend and one of the guests), who promptly ran out and almost ripped the gate from its hinges, under my panicked instructions!
Yes, after three months of research, planning, testing, rehearsing, Casa Bella’s HOIME (Here’s One I Made Earlier) Awards ceremony took place last Saturday. And, I have to say, it turned out to be everything I’d hoped for, and more.
The original concept behind the HOIME Awards was the FRIENDSHIP AWARDS but we knew this would undoubtedlyprove controversial, it also meant that fellow diners (affectionately refered to as ‘ The Academy’ ) would not be able to participate in the voting process. And so, we (my sister and I) came up with the HOMIE concept but a la Hollywood.
Of course, being the obsessive compulsive person that I am, everything had to be planned to the last detail; the décor, lighting, what would that person look like if they stood there when a photo was taken, what would show behind them, what would show in front of them, what would be their impression if they were confronted with this view first, etc… E.g. a glass table in front of the HOIME backdrop would allow for guests to immortalise their hand prints without becoming a physical barrier, a clock discreetly placed in the foreground of the photo would record the actual time the event took place. This list is endless.
Of course, there are some things that cannot be controlled. E.g. the pain from the blister on my feet (yep, new shoes), and the 
weather. E.g. ’the wall of fame’ aimed at recreating Hollywood’s Walk of Fame was a good idea in principle. However, the tiles (featuring guest names) refused to stick to the brick wall for which they were destined, and when they did, the gale force wind that plagued me for most of the weekend, did its best to rip them off, and succeeded! That same tornado played havoc with the red carpet, prompting more improvisation with some strong double sided table (that wouldn’t show in official photos) and language. Equally, the light curtains that I’d spent months researching simply did not look right when they were actually up at the window, and, despite Francesca’s pleas for the 3 hours we’d already invested in erecting them, were unceremoniously removed and eventually draped over the sofas for a stylish finish (my sister’s suggestion once she’d recovered from the trauma of actually removing them from the window).
The ceremony itself went exceedingly well. Even the dramatic incidental music went according to cue and I was able to announce, to 
breathtaking anticipation, the 3 worthy winners of Casa Bella’s HOIME Awards 2011. Tamanda Flynn won MOST APPROPRIATE award, Sarah Whittaker won MOST CREATIVE award and Thomas Payne won the special CLOSING DOWN award for BEST SPEECH.
As for the five + course meal that was served on the night… well, that was okay, I guess (he says, taking his life into his own hands). I loved the food as did our guests (at least the ones who told us so). That credit goes to my beautiful sister, Francesca, without whom none of these dinner parties would be possible. Thanks for all your hard work, sis. I love you.
But the real magic was not in the planning, the positioning, the rehearsing or the buying, it was in our guests, the human beings that actually brought life to an
otherwise inanimate shell. The HOIME Awards are about hand crafting the perfect gift and all of 
our guests rose beautifully to this challenge with an amazing array of well conceived and brilliantly executed offerings that matched our (their host’s) personalities as well as it did showcase their talents. All of the gifts were clearly designed from the heart and heavily endowed with inimitable sentimentalism that had me blubbering right from the first speech. That’s right, prickly old me, notorious for my no-nonsense, does’t-suffer-fools, has no time for weakness, grumpy old me. May I stress that I wasn’t alone, there were quite a few moist eyes among us. It was difficult not be overwhelmed by some of the most genuine, witty and thought provoking speeches I have heard beyond Gwyneth Paltrow’s notorious Oscar Acceptance speech. It was then, as I accepted the sauce splattered napkin of a fellow dinner guest to daub my leaky eyes that I realised that the HOIME Awards wasn’t ‘just another themed dinner party’. Of course, it probably started out that way but quickly became something more. More than winning something, more than taking home a small asexual statue; it was about friendship. Lifelong relationships forged in time and forever to be cherished.
Over the top?
It may seem that way but, quite frankly, I’m not sure my words can even do it justice. All I can say is if you have a friend, let them know. You don’t need a tuxedo, a new frock or a statue, you just need to do something out of the ordinary to let them know how much they matter.
As for that burning question… will the HOIME Awards make a comeback in 2012? Well, true friendship is eternal, isn’t it?
Less than 9 days until Casa Bella’s HOIME awards. The heat is on!
Ready or not, the countdown to Casa Bella’s 2011 HOIME Awards continues and if I still had my lovely locks of black hair, I’d surely be starting the plucking process by now!
Okay maybe not but Casa Bella’s HOIME Awards ‘a la Oscars’ has got to be right up there with one of the most glamorous, if not ambitious, dinner parties we’ve ever held, at least logistically!
This is because, for us, the whole point of hosting these dinner parties is for the experience that we can offer our guests. There’s much to be said about eliciting that all important “wow”. But that means things happening, people being in the right place, drinks and dinner served at the right time. So what if things don’t go to plan? Well, apart from a lot of swearing, that’s generally what contingencies are for.
I’ve been asked what exactly is going through my mind at time like this? Um, “did I put that on that list?” generally and, “oh S#@t! haven’t I ordered that yet? Meanwhile, Francesca is thinking, “oh great, I’m really looking forward to another week with my stress pants-turrets stricken brother”.
Jokes aside (well, not exactly a joke), there simply is a lot of pressure for these events to go well and for them not to look excessively micro managed. Striking a balance is all important both for our sanity and for that of our guests. Ultimately, we want them to have a great time and we want to share that good time also. And if things don’t quite go to plan then even a control freak like me has to learn to roll with it.
So, next week, life (as we know it) will go on hold. The final phase of preparation and planning will with kick in with a review of the the task and shopping lists. We’ll review what has been done so far (which should be most of it) and what hasn’t. I (or we) will be going through each process to ensure that it is as planned and that it will actually work on the evening. This includes those unfortunate yet necessary tasks of taste testing menu items and cocktails. Yes, it’s a tough job but good hosts have to do it. 
I’ll then be turning my attention to front of house. Generally, 24/48 hours before curtain up, I’ll start the laborious yet perversely pleasurable task of setting the table. What?! 24 hours to set a table? Well, not exactly 24 hours but the process generally takes that long. One main reason is to ensure that everything is just so and if there are any last minute dramas they can be easily dealt with without too much stress (like missing cutlery, you know, the usual stuff).
<sigh> and then, before we know it, it’ll be curtain up. The adrenaline will be pumping and the nerves a jumping but we’ll be excited… it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for; months of planning, days of preparing but we’ll get to spend several special hours in the company of very dear friends and, hopefully, the opportunity to give them a unique experience that they can cherish for many years to come.
HOIME stands for what?! The word is finally out
Okay, so today I’ve finally put our distinguished guests out of their misery and explained what the acronym HOIME actually means (for those anti sleuths who haven’t already worked it out). HERE’S ONE I PREPARED EARLIER.
The concept behind our latest black and white tie dinner party is an award ceremony for best gift but with a twist; it has to be one that our guests prepared earlier with their own loving hands.
No doubt this latest news is going to receive a mixed reaction and one of them is most likely going to be panic! I remember the furore surrounding the talent we asked our guests to bring to our Masquerade which most took to like pros (yes, you know who you are). I had to literally use a hook to pull them off the stage since there was no stopping some once they got started. (Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little)
Most importantly, the HOIME Awards is going to be Casa Bella’s first summer event and it’s therefore an extra special occasion. It means we’ll be able to spill out into the garden. The ‘Oscars Style’ theme means a lot of sparkle and glamour which is a good excuse to don our best evening wear and get a sense of what it’s like to be a celebrity for the evening. Yes, we’re also going to arrange for a lot of backstage politics just to try and keep it as authentic as possible. Francesca and I quite adept at that. (I’m joking of course, sis).
The Awards Categories haven’t yet been announced but they’ll feature ‘Most Appropriate’ and ‘Most Creative’ categories, to name a few. The rest of the categories will be posted here a soon as they become available (or we’ve dreamed them up)!
Can’t wait! Now that the guest list is closed we can really start focussing on the preparations. It’s going to be a very exciting evening and guess what you lucky readers? You can read all about it right here.
Casa Bella to host glitzy HOIME Awards (Here we go again!)
Yes, well it was always going to be a short matter of time before Francesca and I forget our heated exchanges and remember instead only the warm
and fuzzy feeling that hosting dinner parties instills in us.
It’s still early days. The guest list is still open as we’re still waiting for some of our friends to return from their Easter holidays.
The evening promises a lot of excitement as the black and white tie event will be Casa Bella’s first of the summer and will take place to a glitzy backdrop, Oscars Style. The questions have already been rolling in: “What are the HOIME Awards and how do I get nominated?” Well, that remains a closely guarded secret until the guest list is closed. I’m hoping this will happen next week.
I have to confess that this is my least favourite part of the process; when the guest list is open. Everything is in limbo until all of the guests have confirmed and the planning can commence. There’s also a natural limit of seats available which means we have to be selective in our invites and these have to be timed; if a guest doesn’t reply within a certain period of time, their seat is automatically assigned to the next person in the queue. Yep, I know it sounds draconian but it’s, sadly, a necessary evil (hence why it’s my least favourite part).
On the other hand I’m really looking forward to closing the list next week and starting the planning. It’s going to be an ‘awesome’ evening! I just wish we could invite everybody. Sadly, we can’t.
Oh well, there’s still the blog or, maybe, next time (as they say) “it could be you!”
Casa Bella’s Masquerade is a winner
Wow, is all I can say.
What an evening. The Masquerade was everything I expected and more; a colourful, funny and eccenctric time was had by all! 
The evening started relatively well but the weather did not play ball, especially when I was trying to light some lanterns out on the decking. They’d been put out there the previous day and were water logged which meant that all the candles needed to be replaced. These lanterns look beautiful but they’re rather fiddly, especially for a little short ass like me! So I found myself battling with the elements, trying hard not to fall on my backside whilst trying not to get my wig caught on a tree branch! Oh, didn’t I mention that? I was suitably dressed as a nobleman of the era.
In the meantime, Francesca, donned in a custom tailored dressed, swished greetings to the arriving guests and shepherded them into the study for
drinks. Luckily, we kicked off this event with a home made punch from Alla Botega Italiana but really our own home recipe which I have to say was more
like Francesca’s science experiment but it taste delicious.
My sister is really hot on photographing each and every episode of her life so our guests must have truly felt like royalty as shutters snapped and flashes, well, flashed. Eventually, we led out guests away from the strobe lighting through into the dining room where if the “wows” are anything to go by, they were suitably impressed.
Meanwhile, I’m in the other room recovering from a mad dash candle lighting session. I had no idea I’d set up so many! Again, it’s one of those things where concept doesn’t necessarily follow practicality. Nonetheless, when I eventually got the room ablaze (not literally of course), the candles along with some timeless classical masterpieces set the ambience just nicely.
Unlike previous dinner parties, we tried to keep as close as we could to some of the dining traditions of the time. E.g. laying much of the food out on platters and allowing our guests to help themselves. This was somewhat alien to us but it is something we had agreed to do from the start. Now, the dining experience may not have lasted as long as the previous event but it did take equally as long as guests were continuously coming and going from the dining room which meant we couldn’t get the main attraction of the evening underway. What was that? Oh, just a small talent show for which we were handing out Casa Bella custom made trophies.
In true Casa Bella fashion, we didn’t want our guests becoming complacent on the evening so, several weeks before tonight, I sent an email to everybody asking them to sing for their supper! Roughly translated as we wanted them to bring a talent to the evening, any talent, be it singing, drawing, even telling a joke, we wanted to suss out just how talented our friends are and it made for some of the most impressive and amusing parts of the evening. Francesca and my talent was a well-rehearsed dance of the era courtesy of Mr Beverage’s Maggot (no, I’m not kidding you, it is a piece of music regularly featured in BBC period dramas). The twist was that I’d spliced ‘I like big butts’ by Sir Mix-alot into the middle of it which meant that we went from dancing a dainty minuet to jumping around on the spot and slapping our backsides! Needless to say that the stark contrast of that against our costumes and the whole theme of the evening had many laughing.
Then it was time for each guest, in turn, to take centre stage and show us all what they were made of and I was really impressed and warmed by the effort many had made. Thanks guys!
The two trophies were handed out for best costume and best talent and they were well deserved.
For fans of Roman Holiday and the famous ‘Bocca Della Verita’, there was a mystery box equivalent with a series of objects that guests took in turns to guess throughout the evening. Again, some pretty smart cookies at this masquerade!
Eventually, the evening rolled to a slow. I can’t remember exactly what time it was when guests started to leave. I think it was around 02:00am. After a while, things turned into a bit of a blur. I, and I’m sure Francesca, were just so exhausted. It had been a very long build up and, as always, when the event is over, the adrenaline fades.
It was a good kind of exhausted. You know the one where you feel you’ve actually accomplished something, like being able to say “I made that”. I felt that way tonight. I know Francesca has always been fascinated with Venetian Masquerade and, as her brother, I’m delighted to have been instrumental in bringing some of that eccentricity right into our home.
Feedback was very good but the following weeks will be a testament to that as we also receive some of the indirect feedback. As always, questions turned towards the next event, this time during the meal! Easy people, let’s get one event out of the way before we start contemplating the next.
Somebody also brought up the topic of money; “these events must be costing you a fortune”. My answer to that was that they can , especially when you have a perfectionist at the helm; everything has to be the best it can be and that’s often pricey.
Perhaps, but the way I see it is that life is simply too short and if I have the opportunity to spend quality time with people that matter to me and it ultimately brings me joy then I shouldn’t hesitate because who knows what’s around the corner.
I humbly extend the same advice to you.
Coleman-Rivers dinner party a successful blessing
What a great evening.
Another successful event albeit I went it alone on this one. My sister and partner in crime, Francesca, believed that since this event was exclusively for a selection of my friends only that it would make sense that I host the dinner party alone. Yes, what a scary thought and it was! As always with these things, it doesn’t matter how close you are to the people involved you just want things to be right. Well, control freaks like me do and I think I managed to pull it off, just about.
Most importantly, it was really good to catch up with some old and dear friends, to find out what exactly has been going on in their lives and, of course, talk to them about the upcoming masquerade party and sound out there interest in attending. Of course, they were all eager which means that the Masquerade guest list is full at 16 people. As always, for those we couldn’t accommodate this time, there’s always next time.
Now that the exclusive Coleman-Rivers event is over, the attention can now turn to the Masquerade party next month which is already demanding a lot of creativity both with props, decorations, costumes and menu. Things aren’t exactly proceeding to plan but I guess that’s to be expected when you try to recreate a moment in time, 200 hundred or so year ago! I’m sure it’ll be fine.
In the meantime, it’s the early hours of the morning and I’m thinking about how blessed I am to have the ability to host these events and to be able to spend quality time with some of the people that matter the most. Life can be good.
Rumour mill forces exclusive dinner party
So, this is how it is.
I’ve just sent out the invites for the Masquerade party due to take place on the 25th February 2011 (same day as the celebrations in Venice) but
we’re still receiving feedback on the dining room grand opening that took place a few weeks ago. Some of this feedback is coming from people we don’t even know! Not sure exactly what has taken place but it seems that rumour mill has been working overtime. Our guests have talked to their aquaintances about the event and shown pictures to their friends who in turn have discussed it with their friends. The result is that we’ve had complete strangers telling us about our own event! How cool (and weird) is that?! :-)
The only downside of course is that, at this rate, friends who I was unable to accommodate at the previous event are going to hear about the next before I’ve had the opportunity to explain about the whole limited seating thing! Aaaargh! This in turn has prompted a review of our Masquerade guest list which has now promptly been increased to 16/18 sit down places.
In the meantime, I’ve had to schedule an interim dinner party (pretty much a replica of the previous) for my closest friends. This will take place in January 2011 closely followed by the Masquerade in February.
Meanwhile, one of my sister’s friends asked her if Casa Bella was to become a ‘pop up’ restaurant and if hosting dinner parties was our next business venture. I had to laugh. Especially when she asked if we were using our friends as test subjects before we launched our new business venture. The answer is no, it isn’t something we have thought about nor something we’d be interested in. At the moment, it’s still fun, I fear this would change as soon as we crossed the line from pleasure to business. Although the thought of charging per head does sound appealing.
Needless to say, it’s going to be busy few months around here!
Casa Bella’s Venetian carnival is announced
You asked and we’ve listened.
After a very short deliberation, we’ve now settled on the next Casa Bella event, only this time we’ve decided to go for something even
more opulent and somewhat refined; a Masquerade Party set in the 18th century! How about that for a challenge?
Well, they don’t happen every day and it’s something that Francesca is really into. We figured that February tends to be a fairly miserable month so what a better time to bring some of the colour, glamour and eccentricity of a Venetian Carnival to Casa Bella? It’s going to be a challenge both from a decorative and wardrobe perspective but, hey, life would be boring without a challenge, right?
The invitations have been emailed and, as always, we’re going to feature a Casa Bella twist just to ensure that our guests don’t get too complacent. Let’s just say that they may have to sing for their supper.
It’s going to be fun!
