Newsletter Archive

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) A lovely lucite sculpture can hop into your heart! There is nothing like commencing a new year with a hop and some sparkle!  I was on the hunt for a joyful little piece of art: a sculpture for a client in Palm Beach to perch upon a tellie room coffee table… and it had to be pink! When I choose art, my mantra and prerequisite is that “the artwork has to speak to my heart.”  So, I keep that in mind for my darling clients too. Luck would have it that I ran into Mara Sfara, a dear friend, fellow Garden Club of Hartford member, and a stunningly talented artist.  She has been featured in many art publications and notable shows.  Mara is not only an exceptionally fine artist on canvas, she also

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) Simple cinnamon sugar in a silver caster! My husband and I were delighted to have all of our eight grandchildren visit us at Fox Hall over the holidays.  It’s “happy bedlam,” and I cherish every moment. At breakfast, one granddaughter asked me what the silver “sprinkler thing” was, which she spied perched near the kitchen stove.  “For pepper?” This was the perfect moment to share what a silver “caster” was originally designed for: sugar!  One would “cast” sugar across their food with it. Casters have been utilized ever since the 17th century.  Sugar was once a prized commodity, like tea.  The silver caster contributed to the decorative panache of displaying sugar on the table.  The dome top is pierced, so the sugar can be delicately dispersed as it is cast, and often has a

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) The gift of time for 2022!  As we commence a new year, I thought it poignant to share a sweet little analogy about a “unique contest and prize.”  Perhaps, you may have already read it before on the internet, nevertheless, the “unique prize” is a clever reminder to all as we inaugurate 2022.  So, here it is! Imagine that you won a VERY unique contest.  What is the prize? Each morning, you receive $86,400.00 in your bank account!  Here are the rules: 1. Each morning, upon awakening, another $86,400 will be deposited for that day. 2. Everything that you didn’t spend during each day will disappear. 3. Transferring money into another account is not allowed. 4. The bank can end the game at any time, and without warning!  The bank can say “game

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) How to PROPERLY pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly!   When champagne is served, instantly it is a celebration!  With the tradition of serving champagne on New Year’s Eve, I thought I would pose the question: do you know how to properly pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly? Even though I have observed my darling husband open countless bottles, I confess I have been doing it incorrectly myself.  I always thought that the loud “POP” sound, accompanied by an enthusiastic “darting cork,” was key… wrong! Champagne was created in France BY accident, and if you are not careful to remove the cork correctly, you can have AN accident!  The cork, if not removed properly, can release, like a dangerous projectile, a flying bullet.  The pressure behind a champagne cork is

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) Magical Reindeer Food: The Secret Recipe If you have children, grandchildren or friends with children, I imagine you are truly counting the days until Christmas, based on their anticipation!  Christmas Eve has always been filled with excitement, tradition, and sprinkled with the spirit of magic on this holy night. One clever tradition that I adopted two years ago is Magic Reindeer food.  It was shared with me by a dear subscriber, Mary E., who sent me enough petite packages of “oats and gold glitter” for our eight grandchildren… a charming tradition, forevermore! On Christmas Eve, during cocktail hour, we give each child their own bag.  They promptly untie the ribbon and run outside to sprinkle the sparkly oats on the lawn by the front steps of Fox Hall.  It is such a precious

The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle. (formerly Mummy’s Monday Manners) The Secret Christmas Caviar Ball Recipe! Would you agree that “inherited recipes,”  the ones families cherish, are as good as gold?  For one reason, they are tried and true! But also, the recipes, that have a time-honored appearance during holidays, can evoke happy memories simply by the mere sight and taste of them. On Christmas Eve, Mummy would make her recipe for “ THE Caviar Ball” which she served during cocktail hour.  I started eating caviar at a young age because of this tradition.  I did not know what it was… but, I must have been inspired to eat it as I observed how everyone was raving about it!  Isn’t that the case with food?  If you don’t know what it is and try it, sometimes you develop an appreciation for the taste,