Newsletter Archive

With Easter upon us, and splendid spring galas approaching and celebratory weddings ahead, I was inspired to discuss two seating options for large gatherings. A clever seating arrangement, one I had not heard of before, is “New York seating.”  My precious friend in Arizona, who has always been a terrific cheerleader for my newsletter, recently reached out to share this seating technique with me! In essence, unlike alternating boy-girl seating, New York seating has a guest seated with their spouse on one side of them, and someone of the same gender on the other side. For example: I would have Stuart on one side, and a lady guest whom I may not know, on my other side. Essentially, it is a lady, with her husband on one side, and another lady on her other side… on and on. At a wedding, a large gathering, and especially, at a long table,

We all know how much effort it takes to host a memorable, seated dinner party for our guests!  One aspect that takes time and considerable thought is the seating placement.  A place card (or seating card) tells a guest where they will be seated at the table. Guests tend to appreciate place cards because they serve to confirm that the host cares about creating an atmosphere for delightful and engaging conversation between their guests. They also serve to eliminate that awkward dance of “where should I sit?” out of the equation!  With that in mind, I received this from a darling subscriber: “I was recently at a beautiful dinner party where the hostess no doubt had made every effort to thoughtfully prepare her seating plan.  I was aghast to see a couple of guests rearranging the place cards to seat themselves in a different location than where the hostess had

Oh, my gracious!  I received so many enthusiastic, positive responses to my last letter about “photo no-no’s.”  I thought you might enjoy reading a few, which touch on other aspects of privacy in reference to photography: “Oh yes, it is one of those boundaries, alas, which is becoming ever more porous.” “I had someone visit once and I never saw him take any photos. A few days later, I saw several photographs of my place on his Instagram page. I felt so violated!” The comment below is worthy of your consideration for those posting photographs on social media. “Another detail of which I wish people would be mindful of is posting on social media and then, tagging the location! I’m happy for people to take family photos while visiting us at our summer home. They can even use the photographs on their Christmas cards, etc., but please, leave the location of

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) Isn’t it divine to be able to visit and party with friends in their homes again after the endlessly long covid hiatus?  So many people have refreshed their interiors, which in turn, serves to enchant newly invited guests. In this world of just about “anything and everything” being captured on cell phone cameras, I wanted to shed light on an important forbidden faux pas for a guest.  It is a BIG no-no to go around someone’s house and photograph different aspects of their interiors. Interiors are private. Taking the liberty to snap a few photos while inside someone’s house for your own pleasure, is tantamount to photographing someone nude when no one is looking!  You may capture something pretty, but in a civilized society, it’s not yours to capture. Consider that one’s interiors

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) Have you attended the fifth Kips Bay Showhouse in the historic district of West Palm Beach yet?  Having participated in three prestigious Showhouses as a designer, I can fully appreciate the time, effort, and financial investment each designer expends on their appointed room.  How delightful it was to tour and enjoy every detail… this time, as a visitor! A “Kips Bay Showhouse” has a well-earned reputation of featuring the pinnacle of architects and designers. The NYC and Palm Beach Showhouses have raised over $25 million for The Kips Bay Boys & Girls Clubs in both NYC and Palm Beach locations, which has benefited over 21,000 youths. The creativity and commitment of notable designers featured in this Showhouse richly contributes to this stellar charity, while also giving the visitors inspirational design ideas! The public

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) My parents moved 33 times during my father’s career! Mummy taught me how to repurpose some of their silver pieces, which she did brilliantly, out of necessity. I hope to inspire you to not only use your silver, but to also consider using your pieces in a diverse, unique way. Recently, I purchased an English silver “biscuit box,” c. 1975. It is the perfect size to store cookies for grandchildren or biscuits for a puppy. When I was preparing for an impromptu cocktail party at “Fox Worth,” our apartment in Palm Beach, I realized that I needed a more diminutive-sized ice bucket than what I had because our Louis XVI side table, where we serve champagne and drinks, has limited surface space. Suddenly, I spied the biscuit box in the kitchen and immediately