For those who love love love etiquette
For years my mother wore a large brimmed sun hat out in the garden affixed with a hat pin. She had dozens of hats made of every conceivable type of material and she had many hatpins to match. In my twenties I began wearing hats often, so my mother gave me a couple hatpins. That began a very…
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“Cards are the sign manual of society. Their use and development belongs only to a high order of civilization. They accompany us, as one writer has justly remarked, all the way from the cradle to the grave. They begin with engraved announcements fo the birth of a child, then cards for its christening, and, later…
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I hope everyone is well and happy. This is just a little post to let everyone know that since we’re all starting to get back to work, I’m going to be posting every other week rather than weekly from now on. Much love!
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“In setting up any service for afternoon tea, the convenience in pouring must be the first consideration,. The teapot must be at the right of the one serving, and the fruit, sugar, and cream in front where they can be easily reached, The cups and saucers should be at the left in piles of two…
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When it comes to formal dinner parties, there are three types of service that you will hear about: Service a la Francaise or French Service (sometimes called English Service in America) What preceded the type of service you see on shows like Downton Abbey? Before the Victorian era, tables were laden with food that was…
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Sometimes you need something fun and light in your life so this post is going to be about candy. Turn of the Century candy to be exact. These all came to market between 1890 and 1920 and amazingly, you can still purchase them today. I got mine from OldTimeCandy.com I’m going to be giving my…
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“Brunch is one of the most versatile ways to entertain on today’s scene. All it takes is a creative hostess, an imaginative menu, an inventive drink and a happy spirit.” Girl Talk Magazine, April 1970 According to the Smithsonian Magazine, brunch was first mentioned in print in an 1895 Hunter’s Weekly article entitled, “Brunch: A Plea,” which was a…
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There are so many great period television shows, but not all of them also happen to have great tableware. Just in case you want to watch a good show and see some delectable table settings, here are my top ten for the 20’s to the 50’s. 10. Lord Peter Whimsey, 1970 Please excuse the terrible quality…
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“The house guest who remains for some time may have her breakfast served on a tray so that she may not find it necessary to appear until the hostess has accomplished some necessary work. Also, an invalid usually has her breakfast served in this manner. The tray, which must be large enough to contain the…
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By 1922, Lilian Eichler writes that, “Menu-cards are no longer used at the formal dinner, unless it is in celebration of some auspicious occasion and honored guests are present. In this case, the hostess has the menus printed or engraved in a delicate script and has one placed beside the plate of each guest. A favorite fashion…
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