I bought a house! I’m moving this month from my basement apartment to an above-ground structure with more windows and space than I know what to do with. What kind of house, you ask? A little bungalow, built in 1923 ~ the year of this exerpt from the book Economics of the Family. 1923: The Kind […]
Tag: 1920s
Origin of the Bridal Shower
As maid of honor for my sister’s wedding in May, I’ve got a lot to do in the coming months. One major activity is to help plan the shower, and now that a date has been selected, I’ve turned to my books to find out more about this festive party. Etiquette expert Lillian Eichler provided […]
The Modern Girl’s Craze for Dancing
In 1920 Arnold Bennett wrote in his book Our Women about everything from the “perils of writing about women” ~ “the idea would not occur to me to write a book about men; the subject would insufficiently attract me, because it would contain no challenging possibilities, I should as soon think of writing about the multiplication […]
Gifts at Christmas-time
Perfect for this time of year, this selection is dedicated to my dear, sweet mother, recently shocked by the words of a rather difficult relative: “The squirrel nut dish is cute. It’s about the fifth one like it I’ve received. I think everyone in the family has hit me with that one once. We sold […]
Miss Abigail’s (timeless) Holiday Gift Ideas, Vol. V
Worried about finding a perfect gift for your hard-to-shop-for relative? Welcome to the fifth annual collection of Miss Abigail’s gift ideas. This year I offer a lovely selection of items that I’m sure those on your list will just adore. Trust me. Dad sure loves to cook those burgers. How about this handy “portable electric […]
Miss Abigail’s (timeless) Holiday Gift Ideas, Vol. IV
Trying to figure out what to get that hard-to-shop-for relative? Welcome to the fourth annual collection of gift ideas. This year, more than ever, many are seeking comfort in books, but you’re probably stumped about what your family might like to read. Miss Abigail, nonfiction book wiz, is here to help. The advertisements following were […]
Miss Abigail’s (timeless) Holiday Gift Ideas, Vol. II
Welcome to the second annual selection of gift ideas from Miss Abigail’s Time Warp Advice. Burned out on shopping? This year I’m bringing you some ideas for gift certificates. I’m sure your loving family and friends will appreciate them more than a boring old tie or necklace. The pictures are from my collection of books, […]
Miss Abigail’s (timeless) Holiday Gift Ideas, Vol. I
Something a little different for the holidays ~ with the help of my books, I’ve come up with some fabulous gift ideas for the whole family. I don’t want you all to panic in these last hours of perfect-present hunting. You’ll notice that the pictures are from the books (a variety of decades are represented […]
In Flight
A few friends of mine recently boarded a jet plane to Great Britain. While they are away, frolicking around the countryside, I’ve been reading a bit about travel etiquette. Here’s a snippet from a book recently acquired. I’ve got the third printing of Etiquette in Public, published in 1924 and written by one of my favorite […]
Do Bridesmaids Need to Buy Gifts?
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I am a bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding. Since I’ve spend over $150 for an outfit, plus I’ll be traveling out of town to participate in the wedding, does proper etiquette require me to purchase a gift also? Signed, Pam A Dear Pam: My dear sweet Pam. I think you already […]