Thursday, July 31, 2014

6 Ways to be a good Host AND Guest at a party! {Party Etiquette}


Picture is from here.


Let's just face it, sometimes being the best host and/or guest is difficult. 

Being polite (AND fun) is important, but when your turkey is burning in the oven or one of your guest showed up with an unexpected extra things can get a little crazy. Same goes for being a guest. What time is the right time to show up? Late... Early..? WHO KNOWS? 

With a little lot of help from the Post family (and Emily Post's Etiquette, 18th Edition, Manners For a New World) I am going to provide you with a brief list of 6 ways to be a great Host and Guest! Let's get started...

Being a Good Host

1. Invite clearly:
Make sure your invitation is clear to your guest. Provide them with necessary information such as the dress attire, date, time, possibly what will be served and anything else that may be of benefit to them.

2. Plan well: Planning ahead and being well prepared is key to having a smooth and successful gathering. Remember to be consistent throughout with everything from the food to the dress attire. 

3. Remain calm: The unexpected should be expected {does that even make sense}? Don't become frustrated with spills or uninvited guests. Calmly, with a smile,  take care of any issue. Your mood sets the tone for the party, therefore if you are stressed your guest may feel uncomfortable.

4. Keep guests feeling welcome: Like previously mentioned, your tone effects everyone. So be fun, mindful and a good leader. Make a toast to welcome your guest and help them feel more at home!

5. Be flexible and gracious: Accidents will happen. Just remember to stay calm and let your guest know that it is ok. Even if they spill red wine on your carpet and you want to just go cry. Pull it together and smile.

6. Be appreciative: Thank all of your guests for coming and for any contribution they made to the event (gifts or food). Let them know how much their friendship means to you!

Being a Good Guest

1. RSVP: Let your host know whether or not you will be attending. Most invitations will have a date and form of communication (phone, email, letter) in which you should respond by. Be sure to check your calendar and respond appropriately. 

2. Arrive on time: NEVER show up early!! Anywhere between five and fifteen minutes after designated start time is good. If you will be more than fifteen minutes late notify your host so they can make arrangements. 

3. Be a willing participant: Even if what the host has planned isn't what you may want to do, try to take part in any activity they have planned. Be present and not preoccupied by your cell phone. It is important to be active and participate, however do not dominate or be rude. 

4. Offer to help when you can: When appropriate, ask your host if they need any help with anything. Lighting candles, collecting dishes or anything. Being helpful is always appreciated and very kind.

5. Neatness counts: Be considerate and not leave trash all over the table. Remember to be clean!

6. Thank the host twice: Always thank your host!! More than once is best. Even if they are not at the door on your way out be sure to make a point to find them and thank them one last time!


I hope that you have found some of this information helpful. I really believe that each girls should have at least one etiquette book, even if it is just a small one (like this). Being polite and having good etiquette is a number one characteristic of a lady, lol. People will respect you more if you hold a standard to yourself!  

Bes sure to follow my blog for my upcoming etiquette posts & visit the Emily Post website for more info!!

If you have anymore questions or requests please leave them in a comment or email me at:

Morgan

Friday, July 18, 2014

Weekend Links {Sales,Books and More}






Here are a few things I have been obsessed with this week! 
What is on your weekend list? Leave me link's in a comment

1. This website is a must for parties & cute tape!

2. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is finally here

3. I just posted a new video on my youtube channel

4. Extra 20% off of sale items on toryburch.com with code "TAKE20"

5. I am in love with this lip product at the moment

6. I want to by this book! Have you read it... your thought's?

Happy Weekend! I hope you have a great one!

Morgan

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Let's Talk Etiquette




Being a lady is not always just about dresses, nice manicures and perfect hair. Being polite and knowing good etiquette helps quite a bit. I am far from where I want to be on knowing good etiquette and was thinking that sharing some simple tips from my favorite "Emily Post" would be helpful for everyone. 

A few years ago my mom gave me Emily Post's Etiquette, 18th Edition. I must say, this is a large amount of  polite-ness to take in {lol}. With that being said, I have not quite read as much of this book as I had planned. However, while shopping at Barnes & Noble, I recently found Emily Post's Everyday Etiquette. This book has been a life saver and has changed my view of taking on good etiquette.

Emily Post's Everyday Etiquette {is obviously of everyday etiquette} helps make dealing with everyday tasks and problems easier and allows one to take on rude people, drink spills and other nonsense with a polite, lady-like smile. This book has allowed me to learn how to set a table and deal with rude comments in a little less than five minutes, which I must say is pretty awesome. As a young lady {aspiring to grow into a well mannered woman}I think this knowledge is important. I am planning a mini series for my blog {over time}, based on this book, to not only provide information to those in need- but to also help me get some practice. 

I  plan on including the following {along with any request by you!}:
1. Table Settings
2. Correspondences Notes and Stationary

If you have any questions or subjects you would like for me to include please feel free to let me know in a comment below or email me at 

I look forward to us ladies getting a little bit more classy!

Morgan

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Lulu and Georgia "Girl About Town" Marni {Print}


 


Today I am going to be sharing with you all y'all {you all is so weird?} my new(ish) addition to my room! When I say new(ish) I mean... Jay bought this print for me in February and I am just now getting around to framing it and hanging it, lol. I absolutely adore these "Girl About Town" Prints from Lulu and Georgia. They are seriously just the coolest- little- feminine prints and I just think they are so fun!

I decided to write about how I framed mine and some tips I have for framing yours!


1. What you will need

- Frame {I used a 11" x 14"}
-Mat {to fit your frame, in this case 11" x 14" with a 8" x 10" opening}
- The print itself {mine is no longer on the websites, so unfortunately I can not link it}
-Glass Cleaner
-Coffee Filters {they work the best for cleaning glass and mirrors!}
-Tape {not photographed}






2. Clean Frame Glass
It is really important to clean the glass of your frame well. You don't want to have your print perfectly alined and hung on the wall before you realize there are a few finger prints visible for your audience. Been there, Done that. My Aunt (Joyce, Hi if you're reading this) showed me that coffee filters work wonders for cleaning glass and mirrors. No: streaks, dust, residue, nothing. Any glass cleaner will work, unless you have a favorite. Just make sure to clean the glass to rid it of any dust or finger prints.




3. Return Glass to Frame
Carefully place the glass back into your frame, being careful not to return the fingerprints you just removed! Once again... Been there, Done that!



4. Align Print to Mat 
Make sure that your print is centered well within your mat. You do not want this to be crooked! 


5. Tape Print to Mat {optional}
It is not always necessary to tape your print to the mat. But, for some reason, in this case mine was sliding around so I found it best to tape it to keep it in place!


6. Return Back of Frame to Frame
Lastly, close up your frame and hang!



I am so beyond happy with how this turned out!! Ahhh.. I'm literally jumping with joy.. so happy! I chose a gold frame and a brown mat, both from Michael's. I think the brown mat really brings out the brown hues in the print and dresses it up! Perfection.

I recommend checking out Micahel's for frames and mats! They are very reasonable with pricing, they usually have great coupons available online and the quality is great for the price. 

Unfortunately this print is no longer on the Lulu and Georgia site (sad face here) however there are a few more that I am hoping to add to my collection: Colette & Veronica ! I would highly recommend these they are great quality, awesome price and literally to cute to resist! I hope you found this post helpful and fun! If you have any questions please leave them in a comment below!




Morgan

Friday, July 4, 2014

Holiday Weekend Sales!

Everyone loves a good sale, I mean come on!  Here are some that are currently in action! 



1. Tory Burch up to 30% off with code SUMMER14
2. Lulu and Georgia 25% off with code USA25
3.Vineyard Vines an extra 30% off all sale items with code SUMMER2014
4. Fraternity Collection 25% off with code 1776
5. Saks Fifth Avenue Final Sale 70% off
6. JCrew extra 40% off final sale styles with code SHOPMORE


Are you shopping any sales this weekend?

What are your great plans for the weekend?

Morgan