What is it about January that makes me hate my clothes so much? I blame the extra sweets around the holidays. Whatever the reason, my closet just got a bit fuller thanks to a little shopping spree today. I probably should have read the following excerpt, from Mary Lockwood Matthews’ textbook Elementary Home Economics, before I […]
Category: Beauty and Charm
Beauty and charm tips.
Hey Joe, Could You Please Clip Your Nails in Private?
Q Dear Miss Abigail: Help! How does one gently tell a young and impressionable co-worker that clipping his fingernails in staff meetings ~ and even at his desk ~ is distressing to the rest of us? Eeewwww. Signed, Grossed out by a Guy A Dear Grossed out: Staff meetings? Yuck. Hmm . . . Perhaps […]
How Do I Shake Hands?
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I was wondering what the proper etiquette is when a man comes up to you to shake your hand. Should you offer your hand or should he? Signed, A Shaker and a Mover A Dear Shaker: I have a few tidbits for you from Ruth Tolman’s Charm and Poise for Getting Ahead. […]
How To Cultivate an Agreeable Speech
In 1945, Emily Post’s etiquette book offers pages of advice on words, phrases, and pronunciation. Read this selection carefully, and make sure you enunciate! 1945: How To Cultivate an Agreeable Speech The often-heard expression, “You know she is a lady as soon as she opens her mouth,” is not an exaggeration. The first requirement for […]
Put Heart-Warmth in Your Voice
Still recovering from getting my wisdom teeth out last weekend, I’ve been doing some jaw exercises to relax the muscles and help lessen the pain. So when I came across this exercise of the voice, I found it helpful. Well, maybe not so helpful, but it sure made me laugh when I tried her suggestions, […]
May I Still Wear Velvet?
Q Dear Miss Abigail: When is the last possible date that wearing velvet is acceptable? Signed, Desperate for an answer A Dear Desperate: This question just came in, and since it was marked “desperate,” as well as being a timely subject matter (thank goodness Spring is here!) I decided to answer it right away. Though […]
Must I Wait to Wear My White Shoes?
Q Dear Miss Abigail: Please help, I’m in a quandary! I just bought a $200 pair of white shoes at a Labor Day sale. Do I have to wait until Memorial Day to wear them?? Signed, Blanche A. LaMode A Dear Blanche: $200! I’m not sure you got such a bargain. Nevertheless, I have found […]
Sweetness and Kindness
Honey sweetie pie! Sweetness! Baby sweetie darling! Here are some words on this lovely subject from volume one of Frances Dare’s Lovely Ladies: The Art of Being a Woman. Hope you enjoy it, sweetheart. 1929: Sweetness and Kindness Every real woman must be sweet, and she must express her sweetness in kindness. The real sweetness that […]
To Retain Youthful Looks
Please join me in celebrating my Grandma Rose’s birthday! She’s the most wonderful, joyful Grandma in the whole wide world, and maker of some pretty dang perfect mashed potatoes and the best grilled cheese sandwiches that I’ve ever had. Here’s a tidbit from a book titled How to Secure a Beautiful Complexion and Beautiful Eyes, published […]
Please Make My Zits Go Away!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I have a bunch of zits on my forehead that never seem to go away. I use pimple-fighting creams and scrubs but they never go away! What can I do to make them go away? Why won’t they go away in the first place? Is there a cream out there that […]