Sunday, April 5, 2009
Fashion Superstition
The Fashion Industry has an old superstition: Never place a pair of shoes on a table, desk or counter. It is bad luck. Clack. Clack.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Money Saving Tips for the Home
Today, money saving Ironing tips for the home, thanks to my Mother, a young girl during the height of the depression:
- Instead of buying spray starch (it breaks down fabric fibers), iron linens and cottons using cold water from a spritzer bottle (my Mother used an old green glass Coke-a-Cola bottle and a cork attached to a metal sprinkler at the top). Water will make your linens wrinkle free.
- After hand washing linen and cotton tablecloths and napkins, lightly wring them, spread each item out then fold. Roll up each item and place it inside a plastic bag. Place the bags in the refrigerator overnight. Take out the bags the next morning (or so) and immediately iron with a hot iron. Don't be alarmed. The iron will steam and sputter. Talk about crisp linens!
- To save your feet from tiring while ironing, stand on a nice big, wide pillow.
Oh Me, Oh My!
Oh Me,
Just when I thought President Obama had committed the only Protocol faux-pas of the day in shaking the hand of the Queen in a "Double Handed" handshake, today in many British newspapers, it is reported that our First Lady, Michelle Obama, touched the Queen by giving her a hug! The first rule of etiquette in meeting any member of Royalty is: do not touch Royalty.
Now, I will report that there is much speculation about who touched whom first. In the end, it does not matter because in the foreign press, Michelle Obama is blamed for breaking Protocol.
For the younger generations, whether Protocol and manners still matter in pagan, socialist countries anymore, who knows, but citizens of the Britain still adore and respect their Queen, and she is a woman of a certain age. The younger generation should respect her traditions of Protocol.
Even if the gloved Queen did touch Mrs. Obama on the small of the back first, Michelle Obama should have kept her hands to herself. If she had kept her hands at her sides, we would not even be having this conversation. The British press would only then be picking on Mrs. Obama's shoulder less dress and the iPod gift given by the Obamas to the Queen. Oh My!
Check out the link: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/G20/article6022502.ece
Just when I thought President Obama had committed the only Protocol faux-pas of the day in shaking the hand of the Queen in a "Double Handed" handshake, today in many British newspapers, it is reported that our First Lady, Michelle Obama, touched the Queen by giving her a hug! The first rule of etiquette in meeting any member of Royalty is: do not touch Royalty.
Now, I will report that there is much speculation about who touched whom first. In the end, it does not matter because in the foreign press, Michelle Obama is blamed for breaking Protocol.
For the younger generations, whether Protocol and manners still matter in pagan, socialist countries anymore, who knows, but citizens of the Britain still adore and respect their Queen, and she is a woman of a certain age. The younger generation should respect her traditions of Protocol.
Even if the gloved Queen did touch Mrs. Obama on the small of the back first, Michelle Obama should have kept her hands to herself. If she had kept her hands at her sides, we would not even be having this conversation. The British press would only then be picking on Mrs. Obama's shoulder less dress and the iPod gift given by the Obamas to the Queen. Oh My!
Check out the link: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/G20/article6022502.ece
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Americans: Restrain Your Hands, S'il Vous Plait.
Pardon Mon Francais mais OMD (Oh Mon Dieu),
Here we go again....President Obama just met The Queen of England and used the "Double Handshake." Y'all have seen it. Many politicians and ministers use this double handed shake.
American Business Women consider it to be condescending. Apparently, the Queen thought so too...the British press is buzzing about this "faux pas" already. Americans will probably think this is such a stupid little rule and who cares, but it is our image. Again, the "Ugly Americans" fail in matters of manners.
Then I thought of Virginia's Governor, Tim Caine, last year when the Queen visited Virginia for our Jamestown celebrations. Front page in the RTD, our Governor was photographed sticking both of his thumbs up in front of the Queen. Y'all can use your imaginations and guess what the "Thumbs Up" hand gesture means in Britain and all over Europe. The European presses and British blogs went nuts!
Richmond also has a Preppie, young local TV reporter out and about town who reports the news with his hands in his pockets. Again, y'all can use your imaginations and guess what Europeans think about men who put their hands in their pants pockets.
I am now throwing my hands up in the air and asking: Why do Americans have such a problem with their hands? Why can we not just learn to be still? Why can we not spend a few minutes learning a few very simple rules for traveling abroad so the rest of the world does not see us as the "Ugly Americans" with our absolute lack of manners. Oh my! Au revoir, y'all.
Here we go again....President Obama just met The Queen of England and used the "Double Handshake." Y'all have seen it. Many politicians and ministers use this double handed shake.
American Business Women consider it to be condescending. Apparently, the Queen thought so too...the British press is buzzing about this "faux pas" already. Americans will probably think this is such a stupid little rule and who cares, but it is our image. Again, the "Ugly Americans" fail in matters of manners.
Then I thought of Virginia's Governor, Tim Caine, last year when the Queen visited Virginia for our Jamestown celebrations. Front page in the RTD, our Governor was photographed sticking both of his thumbs up in front of the Queen. Y'all can use your imaginations and guess what the "Thumbs Up" hand gesture means in Britain and all over Europe. The European presses and British blogs went nuts!
Richmond also has a Preppie, young local TV reporter out and about town who reports the news with his hands in his pockets. Again, y'all can use your imaginations and guess what Europeans think about men who put their hands in their pants pockets.
I am now throwing my hands up in the air and asking: Why do Americans have such a problem with their hands? Why can we not just learn to be still? Why can we not spend a few minutes learning a few very simple rules for traveling abroad so the rest of the world does not see us as the "Ugly Americans" with our absolute lack of manners. Oh my! Au revoir, y'all.
Meeting Her Majesty, The Queen
In watching tons of old movies on TCM, I have noticed that Americans used to say: "How do you do" when meeting someone. We do not say these words anymore and instead now say: "Nice to meet you." I prefer to say: "Nice to see you," in case I have met this person before and do not immediately remember them.
When being introduced to The Queen, or any Royalty, always wait for the introduction, wait for the Queen to extend her hand and wait to answer her by saying: "How do you do," NOT "Nice to meet you." "How do you do" is more formal and is preferred by Royalty as traditional.
When Prince William's girlfriend, Kate Middleton, met the Queen, she said: "Nice to meet you" and was unmercifully bashed by the media. The press said she insulted the Queen by not saying: "How do you do." The press called her "common" and "rude," and all because she did not know to say: "How do you do" to the Queen.
Sounds like such a dumb little thing, but apparently not. That is what etiquette is all about....knowing all your little rules.
Cleaning Suede Shoes
To clean a pair of suede shoes, gently rub them very lightly against the grain of the suede or in one direction only with light weight sandpaper. Use smooth and even pressure. All dirt, mud and grease will come off.
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