For those who love love love etiquette
When I was little, I loved shopping the library bookstore. While kids were forced to stay upstairs in the children’s area at the Santa Monica library, in the bookstore, every topic was available. My first purchases were cookbooks. I learned to make the kinds of gourmet foods my dad loved and he was happy to encourage me, but…
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“High Tea. This is really the evening supper… …although sometimes the “high tea” is spread for an earlier hour than supper, say seven or eight o’clock. The ladies come in visiting costume and the gentlemen in the morning dress in country towns. In cities, sometimes, dress coats and light gowns are considered essential. Guests are expected to spend the…
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People today often use the terms appetizer, canape and hors d’oeuvres interchangeably, but in reality, they are completely different. Unless you’re in a restaurant, appetizers are usually served with cocktails before the meal. It’s in the name – they are meant to whet the appetite for the meal ahead. They should be small enough to be tray passed…
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So here we are, back looking at all the servants in a great house. For part two, we’re on to the woman who served as the back bone of any house, great or small. The Ladies The Housekeeper The housekeeper was in charge of the bedrooms and the servant’s quarters. She managed all the female employees, watched…
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“For simple and informal entertainment among women, afternoon tea is a delightful change from the usual luncheons. It may be served to entertain two or three friends, or it may be so arranged that a large number of persons may be entertained in a small space and a comparatively short time.” Entertaining Guest Etiquette / Children’s…
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This might a good time to discuss the difference between British and American etiquette. I hesitated to put the vs. in the title as this is not a better or worse discussion, just a comparison. British etiquette is obviously older and has its roots in European and Royal court etiquette while American etiquette has wider and more…
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Before you say, “Oh, no! Not another bit of useless linen.” Let me back up a moment and add a little nuance. Even though it may seem as if there was a ton of useless linen ephemera in the old days, each bit of linen was born out of a useful purpose. In days where people used silver, glass…
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I’m going to be ranking using a couple categories. The most important criteria is for the movie to contain images of lovely china and period food in situ. I’m going to leave out the Downton Abbey Movie because the china is mostly the same as in the television show and I’ll be covering that in…
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When you watch Downton Abbey or any other period television program, you don’t begin to get the full picture of how much staff ran a stately home at the height of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. This is because television shows and films don’t have the time to show you every single person who would have…
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When you hear the word doily, you’re probably thinking of the paper variety that come under store bought cakes and yes, those are doilies. In past eras, they were made of cloth or lace. Most often you’ll see them in bright white with expensive lace and embroidery touches for the most formal uses. After all, keeping little bits…
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