One should never ignore the value of good manners. Equal parts simple human courtesy and protocol, manners blunt the sharp edges of social machinery and quiet our squeaks of need. Now, if you don’t understand simple human courtesy, I cannot help you. We do well, however, to discuss both the value and limitations of protocol. [...]
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My mom turns 80 this year, and we’ve decided to extend the festivities to a family reunion. I’ve been coordinating the logistics, timing, location, amongst all the cousins. On email, of course. So when the time came to put together an invitation, I clicked over to the Paperless Post website, browsed their templates, chose [...]
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We’ve all been to at least one good dinner party, right? Define the good, you say? Warm light, shoes off, laughter. Food delicious enough that the conversation stops for a minute. Comfort and joy. The unmistakable thrill of connection and invention. With an open slate, who would you invite? Only people who know how to [...]
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Photo by Lauren’s friend George who has a Flickr page here. He takes beautiful pictures. Lauren, at kidchamp, put up this photo of her Rapture soiree. I found it so evocative of all the good dinner parties I’ve been to, or thrown, over the years. Granted my horizon was suburban, but I think the captured [...]
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Just imagine if online invitations were layered, interactive, beautiful, evocative. (Given that I am not a visual designer, the imagination part is key.) Imagine that there are designers out there and you love their stuff. That part’s not hard. For example, Erin at inkOBSESSIONdesigns. I think her graphics are adorable. This birdie, for one.My personal [...]
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The question is, when to bring out the artifacts? For example, Should we put guacamole in this? Too small. Camellias? Maybe. Nuts? Too big unless someone REALLY loves Brazil nuts. But it’s yours. And it’s family. And it’s pretty. So you bring it, and its peers, out along with the grapevine glazed platters from Crate [...]
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Theme parties aside, the High WASP’s most favorite sort of entertaining is the family gathering. Let’s face it. It’s tiring being a High WASP. All that social signaling. I am sighing at the thought. At family gatherings, you will not offend anyone with incorrect signals. The language is shared. You may offend someone by calling [...]
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Costume parties, scavenger hunts, holiday parties, you name it. High WASPs like parties with themes. When I was at Princeton, my sophomore year I lived with 3 roommates in a 4th floor quad at the top of many, many stairs. A gray stone dormitory. With turrets. At Christmas, we decided to give a party. We [...]
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It’s the boy child’s birthday on Monday. He will be 19. First time he’s ever been away from home on his birthday. I, however, have twice before been traveling on business. Never neglected to celebrate of course, threw birthday parties ranging from homemade carnivals at the park, to a day at the slot car race, [...]
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At the lovely and famous blog, design*sponge, they showed this DIY project today. Making wine charms, you know, so no one else drinks your Pinot. So pretty. However. At this point in my life I do NOT need my wine glass to look any prettier. It looks pretty enough already. It calls to me. Here [...]
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