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Powder Necklace

July 27, 2010

Gotcha!  Bet you thought this was some new trend you weren’t up on yet.  Well it is and it isn’t.  Powder Necklace: A Novel is a book I learned about back in February after attending the Independent Fashion Bloggers conference.  Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, the book’s author, was one of the panelists I was truly impressed with (she has a very cool job at Bluefly that will hopefully be part of another post in the near future).  My interest was piqued; I went home and Googled her and learned that she had a book, Powder Necklace, coming out.  The book is based on Nana’s experience as a young girl; it tells the story of her surprise journey from her home in London to boarding school in her native Ghana.  I was intrigued. I made a note in my calendar of the book’s release date and went on about my merry way. Then a few weeks ago, while reading my friend Kathleen’s blog, kat flower, I learned that Nana and Kathleen are friends (6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon, right?). You’ll have to read the book to understand the title.  I suggest you do.  One of the best coming of age stories I’ve read in awhile. It’ll make a great hostess gift too, the perfect alternative to a candle!

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To The Manner Born

June 13, 2010

Manners. Manners are the standard of conduct that show others you are proper, polite and refined.  I’ve been thinking a lot about manners lately.  On some level, it seems to me that manners have gotten pushed to the wayside. I must admit, I’m big on manners.  As a child, my mother reinforced manners in all sorts of ways.  For example, I knew from an early age on that “please” was the magic word, but I learned from the folk singer, Ella Jenkins, that “please is a pleasant expression, please is nice to say.”  (The fact that I still know every word to a song that I learned when I was 5 is testament to the strength of my mother’s tactics).  I cannot lie, I truly appreciate a courteous person – friend, salesperson, stranger – it almost makes me swoon when I receive a hand-written thank you note in the mail.  Call me old-fashioned, but I’m a sucker for a well-mannered individual.  The other day a new acquaitance told me that when she met her husband, the first thing she noticed about him was how well-mannered he was.  Believe you me, manners are things that people notice even if they never comment on them.

Great manners can definitely make climbing the ladder to success a whole heck of a lot easier.  None of us are born knowing all of  this stuff, but some of it is just merely common sense.  However, even the most mannered of us out there can polish up on our manners every now and again.  There are tons of etiquette books out there now; along with Miss Manners, even folks like Whoopi Goldberg have thrown their hat in to the etiquette ring, she’s got a great etiquette book for kids called Whoopi’s Big Book of Manners.  As long as the message gets across, it doesn’t really matter who’s conveying it as long as it gets conveyed.  These are my thoughts.  I’d love to know what you guys think.

How big are you on manners? Do you put your napkin on your lap for meals? Do you say please and thank you religiously? Do you kindly ask people to do things, or do you tell them to do it?  Do you interrupt others when they’re talking or do you allow them to finish their point before launching into yours?  Do you apologize when you’ve mis-spoken?

I’m just trying to gauge what others view the importance of manners in today’s society to be.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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My Own Little Story

June 6, 2010

Every week, I share a bit of my own little story.  And dear readers, you’re each kind enough to indulge me. I’ve loved personal stories since I was a little girl.  I wanted to know things like how my parents met, where my grandparents grew up and what my parents were like when they were children.  As an adult, I love to watch tv shows like A&E Biography and James Lipton’s Inside The Actors Studio.  We each have our own personal story and some of us are lucky enough to have parents who chronicled our lives laboriously; others of us aren’t so lucky (if you fall into this category, it’s likely you were not a firstborn).

For those of you with children, you know how important it is to try to chronicle your child’s milestones.  You have every intention of doing it, but somehow life gets in the way . . . especially as Baby No. 2 arrives.  For those of you not yet in the parent trap, not planning to get caught in the parent trap or for the auntie or uncle to many, you were a kid once and asked your parents a thousand times for details about your childhood.  If you are the eldest, there may be some sort of memory book.  Mine is by Dr. Seuss’s, it’s called My Book About Me.

Today we live in the age of iPads, iTouches and crackberries . . . what better way to record your child’s milestone’s than to do it online?  Kristin Coons, mother of 3, has created unique approach to recording your child’s most precious moments.  She’s created a Milestone Memory System on her website, My Own Little Story; a completely free service that reminds you, via email, to record milestones and narratives of your child’s life.  It sounds like a great idea to me, non-parent that I am, for today’s tech savvy parents. However, I did ask a few new moms to road-test My Own Little Story; those who responded said they thought it was great, but weren’t sure they’d make the time to respond to the email reminders.  Parents, godparents, aunts, uncles and grandparents – My Own Little Story could be one of the best gifts you give to your little one.  Check it out.

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Legacy of STYLE

May 18, 2010

I inherited my sense of style from my maternal grandmother, Mrs. Effie Hayes. She was one of those stylish church ladies who moved up North from the South eons ago.  When she went “out” (which was not to be mistaken with just going to the grocery store or some other mundane task), she always wore bright red lipstick, a slip and/or camisole regardless of how warm it was outside and her sensible heels. At all times, she had a pressed hankie in her pocketbook that was nestled in the crook of her arm and some sort of hat stylishly cocked on her head.  Women and men alike always talked about how stylish Mizz Hayes was.

My grandmother passed away almost 13 years ago, but she still holds a very dear spot in my heart and mind.  When I came across this book, My Mother’s Clothes, by Jeanette Montgomery Barron, I was reminded of my grandmother and her stylish ways.  The book is an homage to Ms. Barron’s mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s.  As her mother began to decline, Ms. Barron realized that the one way to bring the woman she knew back to her former self was to tag along as her mother went through her closet.  So Ms. Barron, a photographer, catalogued the garments in her mother’s closet pictorially so that her mother could easily flip through and relive precious moments.  The photographs in My Mother’s Clothes are beautiful and help to bring to mind the vibrancy of the woman who must have worn them.

While my grandmother (who maybe weighed 105 pounds soaking wet) was about far more than the clothes she wore, as I’m sure Ms. Barron’s mother was too, her commanding presence was always highlighted by the way she was dressed.

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When Life Calls For A Party . . .

May 9, 2010

Heed the Call and Celebrate Stylishly!

Colleen Mullaney, a.k.a. The Cocktail Diva, lives by this credo.  Her latest book on libations, The Stylish Girl’s Guide to Fabulous Cocktails, is the perfect accompaniment to any celebration whether you’re throwing a swanky soiree, having a “girl’s night in” or hosting an intimate dinner party.  With over 80 recipes, you’ll never be at a loss for what to serve when and to whom. Each chapter focuses on a different spirit; Colleen likens different spirits and their unique characteristics to different articles of clothing and their distinctive personalities. The evening gown of the cocktail world? Champagne. A great pair of jeans that will never let you down? Wine.

Now I must admit, I love a good cocktail.  I am definitely a cocktail girl through and through.  And just like Carrie, my cocktail adventure began with the advent of the Cosmopolitan. Over the course of time, my palate has changed a bit . . . Today my poison of choice is bourbon, but I’m a self-proclaimed mixologist and I swear, I can mix up just about anything your heart desires, including a mean mocktail! Even so, Colleen’s cocktail book has some amazing recipes that I will definitely be adding to my repertoire.

Believe it or not, the first known publication of a cocktail guide was in 1862. Almost 150 years later, The Stylish Girl’s Guide to Fabulous Cocktails carries on the tradition superbly.  It’s a must-have for any hostess with the mostess!

So, although it’s Monday morning, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right? Here’s to you – I’m raising my virtual Mint Julep – and all of those wonderful life moments you’ll be celebrating stylishly.

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