It's time for my big imagination to roam through this blog again ;p If you've read my first imaginary play or my last imaginary play post in this blog, you'll see that I love doing imaginary plays and one of my favourite imaginary play beside being a party planner is being someone whose in charge of house decorating. And so this time it will be about that.

Now let's play:

This time I pretend I'm an old lady probably in my 60s who own a Bed & Breakfast in the country side. I'm a cheerful and friendly grandma.

Now this is not your usual B & B, this is a bigger version of it, with 14 rooms to rent. Some of them en-suite and some of them share a bathroom in the hall. As the owner, I like to decorate the rooms to attract visitors, so I decided to furbish every room with a different decoration or theme.

The B&B consist of a main house where all the guest rooms are, a big garden on every side and at the back with patio and terraces. There's also a small cottage at the side of the garden which houses my staffs.

So first of all, let me introduce you to my staffs (who lives on the B&B) and our rooms. I tried to make my staffs feel comfortable and at-home so I decorate their bedrooms and shared bathroom as homey as possible:

Household:

Owner / Me

Tasks: Greet guests, check-in desk, oversee the whole shebangs, read reports, manage B&B.

Living quarter: 1st fl bedroom

(My room) 

with my en-suite bathroom:

2 of my staffs stay at the main house:
1 Managerial Assistant - Janna, 31yr old
Tasks: Manage all daily reports, salary, administration, guests info desk, took over owner's job if owner's not around
Living quarter: Room in the attic

(Janna's Room) with shared staff bathroom

1 Maid - Penelope, 27yr old
Tasks: Change sheets, clean guests rooms, clean bathrooms, clean the whole house, attend to guests need, waitress during meal time.
Living quarter: Room in the attic

(Penelope's Room) with shared staff bathroom

Janna & Penelope's shared staff bathroom in the attic:

While 3 of my other staffs stay at the little cottage in the garden:
1 cook - Gemma, 40yr old
Tasks: Cook for guests during breakfast and dinner, cook for household, wash dishes, shop for groceries, collecting spices or veggies from the small kitchen garden
Living quarter: Cottage room

(Gemma's room) on the cottage with shared bathroom.

1 washer - Bernadette, 24yr old
Tasks: Wash guests sheets, wash household clothes, wash napkins etc, ironing, help waitressing and then wash the dishes during guests meal time
Living quarter: Cottage room

(Bernadette's room) on the cottage with shared bathroom.

1 gardener - Mr. Sutton, 45yr old
Tasks: Do all gardening including lawn, backyard and the kitchen garden, providing flowers every 2 - 3 days to be put in vases inside the house
Living quarter: Cottage room

(Mt. Sutton's room) in the cottage attic.

The shared staff bathroom in the cottage:

MAIN HOUSE / B&B

And now that you have seen my staff's living quarter let's now look at the guest rooms. Here are the bedrooms available for guests:

We have different types of accommodation here, we have queen sized, king sized, twin bed or single bed. We also have a unique name to every room, such as The Girls room or The Boys room that represents the decorations in the room. Most of our rooms have twin beds because we have quite a lot of best-friends backpacking and traveling together that stays here, so these room are almost always booked. Other room names are The Attic room, The Oriental Room, etc...

Rooms:
2 single bed
6 twin bed
4 queen sized
2 king sized


Let's start with the 1st floor:

1st FLOOR:

The Family Room / The Country Room:

King sized, 1st floor. En-suite (bathroom inside).
This is the most expensive room available. Perfect for family or for a couple who
wants a more secluded room. This is a corner room, spacious with big sofa,
wide windows overlooking the side garden and a door that leads to a
small private balcony overlooking the backyard.
En-suite bathroom:




The Boys Room

Twin bed. 1st floor. En-suite.
This room is made for boys. Perfect if you're a guy and travelling with your
best buddy. The en-suite bathroom also have a manly feel to it.
En-suite bathroom:




The Girls room

Twin bed. 1st floor. Shared bathroom.
This room has a very girly touch, perfect for a woman who travels
with her bestfriend. This room is located at the front with front yard and street view.
It's a small and bright room, and it's one of the cheapest room too.


The Santa Fe Room:

Queen sized. 1st floor. Shared bathroom.
This is our newest addition. We add this small room in the
back near our dining area. It has a new-mexican flair to it with sandy walls,
warm red colors, and plates on the wall that depicts mexican life.
 

The Toile Room:

Queen sized. 1st floor. Shared bathroom.
This room has a deep pink toile wallpaper that makes it unique. 
It also has that rural country cottage charm to it.


Shared bathroom on 1st floor:

1st floor. In the hall.




2ND FLOOR:
The Explorer Room:

Twin bed. 2nd floor. En-suite.
This is a unique room, one of our most sought-after room.
Two hanging beds with wood and rope plus a unique bathroom with world map
wallpaper add some adventure mood to this room.
En-suite bathroom:




The Log Cabin Room

Twin Bed. 2nd Floor. En-suite.
This room makes you feel like you're in a log cabin somewhere over the mountain.
This is also one of our most sought-after room. Our largest room, it's very spacious with
windows overlooking the backyard garden. The en-suite bathroom is also decorated in "wood" theme so it matched the log cabin overall theme.
En-suite bathroom:




The Cottage Room

King sized. 2nd floor. En-suite.
This room has a posh cottage feel to it and a favourite among old couples or
for those who wish to stay longer.
En-suite bathroom:




The Zen Room:

Queen sized. 2nd floor. En-suite bathroom.
This room is decorated in minimalist style, hence the name.
It has a view of the side garden, and a minimalist style bathroom too.
En-suite bathroom:




The Blue Room:

Twin bed, 2nd floor. Shared bathroom.
This is the cheapest of the twinbed rooms. This blue room is located
on the front corner of the 2nd floor so it has 2 views,
the side garden and the street view.


The Mono Room:

Twin Bed. 2nd floor. Shared bathroom.
Mono as in Monochromatic, this room has a black and white style decor.
It's a combination of classic and modern. It's small but
adequate for a short stay traveller.

Shared bathroom on 2nd floor:

bathroom. 2nd floor hall

3RD FLOOR / THE ATTIC:

The Attic Room:

Queen sized, Attic. Shared bathroom.
This is the cheapest room for queen sized bed.
The decoration is simple but quite homey.


The Rustic Room:

Single bed. Attic. Shared bathroom.
This is the cheapest room of all rooms available.
It has a simple design with a little bit of
rustic style here and there. The room has a fantastic view
overlooking the backyard and you can see the hills from here.


The Oriental Room:
 
Single bed. Attic. Shared bathroom.
This single bed room has an all-over oriental feel with detailed oriental decor.
You will feel a different atmosphere here.


Shared bathroom in the attic:

Bathroom, attic hall.

There you go, my imaginary bed & Breakfast :D I know some of you might think I'm crazy but i love doing it ;p so, what the heck...

Anyway, what do you think of my imaginary B&B? Does any of you want to book a room? Which room do you wanna stay in? ;p


^_~


Photo Sources:
HGTV, The Inspired Room, Country Living, Coastal Living, iVillage, BHG, Living Etc, Channel 4

Cat update!


Ucil, in hubby's t-shirt ;p


I also have a video of my other cat Bleki but I've tried to upload it to youtube twice but it always failed at the end, don't know why...

Cleopatra's Daughter

Hellooww...
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
I'm sorry I have been MIA this holiday, I just simply refuse the holidays to end ^o^
Now I finally got the spirit to work so let's continue to this very first post of 2010!

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When I had the chance to review a book on historical fiction I jumped for joy! I love history especially when it involves royalty or some famous person. So when I knew I had the opportunity to review a book by Michelle Moran called Cleopatra's Daughter I was very excited! Little did I know that it would turn out to be a very captivating book.

I only know a little about Cleopatra and Marc Antony's love story but this book has opened my eyes and it has given me much more than a glimpse of their life and their children's life in ancient Rome and Egypt.

In Cleopatra's Daughter we learn about the history of Marc Antony and Cleopatra as told by their daughter Selene who was around ten to eleven years old at the time. Before I read this book I didn't even know that Cleopatra has three children with the two of them being twins!

The story begins with the death of Marc Antony and Cleopatra who were being conquered by their enemy, Octavian from Rome. She then took her own life and leave her three children behind. Upon their parent's death, the children were brought to Rome by Octavian and only two of the children survives the trip, the twins Alexander and Selene.

The story then tells us about the children's life in Rome, being taken care of by Octavian's sister, Octavia who was also an ex-wife of their father Marc Antony. From there, the story goes on.. but I wouldn't tell you more details on that, you're gonna have to read it yourself ^o^

Michelle Moran is so kind she even autographed my book!
I was very thrilled. She is very nice! And pretty too! :D

All I can say to you is ever since the beginning of the first pages I have a hard time of putting the book down because Michelle Moran writes a very detailed descriptions of the story's background, from the vivid decorations at the palace of Alexandria to the room-by-room details in Octavia's dwelling in Rome. It helps make the imagination on my head runs wild, it feels almost real in my head, as if I'm walking the path that Selene took herself ^o^
Michelle also tells the story with much detailed history facts that makes me really appreciate the book. The characters are great too and the story itself is very captivating!

I am now definitely a fan of Michelle Moran. I love the way she tells a story, her hard work and all those deep research she did before writing this book make this historical novel a Must-read!

I love her website too, aside from the three great books she wrote: Cleopatra's Daughter, The Heretic Queen and Nefertiti (and upcoming Madame Tussaud!), the website also offers many features which the history buffs like me would like, such as the ancient Rome map the way Selene (the character) remembers it (complete with photos taken by Michelle herself when she was there) or the many links that direct us to additional info on the character's real life. Lots to explore there, a true history lover website. I think Michelle and I could become bestfriends ^o^
Website highlight: Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of Imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of history, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.
It will indeed!

A bit about Michelle Moran:
Michelle Moran was born in the San Fernando Valley, CA. She took an interest in writing from an early age, purchasing Writer's Market and submitting her stories and novellas to publishers from the time she was twelve.
A public high school teacher for six years, Michelle Moran is currently a full-time writer living in California with her husband. She is the author of Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, and Cleopatra's Daughter. Her fourth novel, Madame Tussaud, will debut in March 2011.
So, What prompted you to write a novel about Cleopatra’s daughter?
I do a great deal of traveling both for research and for fun, and most of my destinations are archaeological sites. On a trip to Alexandria in Egypt, I was afforded the amazing opportunity of participating in a dive to see the submerged remains of Cleopatra’s ancient city. More than ten thousand artifacts remain completely preserved underwater and it changed the way I looked at Cleopatra. I immediately wanted to know more about her life, and it was mere coincidence that my next trip took me to Italy, where her ten year-old children were brought to live after her suicide. While in Rome, I was able to retrace her daughter's steps, and upon seeing where her daughter had lived on the Palatine, I knew I had my next novel.
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GIVEAWAY!
And lucky for you, Michelle Moran has very kindly offered a Free Hardcover copy of Cleopatra's Daughter as well as an ancient Roman coin complete with certificate of authenticity.

+

Now Please pay attention to The RULES before you enter.

RULES :

(To be eligible for this giveaway contest you MUST do the MANDATORY below. You only need 1 Mandatory entry to enter, but you could also have Additional entries to maximize your chances, please remember to leave each entry in a separate comment box or it won't be counted)

To ENTER (MANDATORY) : You must visit Cleopatra's Daughter page on Michelle Moran website, click any of the links there and tell me something you learn from the link you clicked. (1 entry)


For Additional entry :

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NOTE : Remember to include your email in the comment box so I can reach you if you win.
Your entries will be visible after my approval so All entries that does not apply with the rules will not be counted and I will not published the entry!

This giveaway will end on Jan 20, 2010 at 24:00 pm.
Yeah baby, this giveaway is open for WORLDWIDE !
Winner will be announced here on Jan 21, 2010.

I will use random.org to pick the winning number. If the winner does not respond within 48hrs then I will have to choose another winner and will announce it again in my blog.

Good luck to everyone! ^__^

Disclaimer:
I did not receive any form of cash for this review and this is written based on my own honest opinion (other people opinions may vary). Michelle Moran gave me the book to be reviewed but it does not affect my personal review.