Newsletter Archive

“Party time is ‘pretty’ time!” -Holly Holden Pretty party time is anytime! I am going to share my pretty yummy party secret. It’s a “pinky swear-able” secret, and one that guests have begged me for years to share. I am going to cup my hands and whisper in your ear… “THE Holden Punch” recipe! A cocktail party is not replete at Fox Hall without a large silver revere bowl, at one end of our dining room table, filled with “THE Holden Punch!”   Of course, other libations are offered, along with a full bar. A reputation has been created through the years, however, so that The Holden Punch MUST make an appearance at our parties! Offering a punch goes back to British sailors returning from the British East India company in the 17th century, who modified it from a local tradition in India. When these sailors began drinking punch at parties, the practice spread like

“Party time is ‘pretty’ time!” -Holly Holden The little details you use when entertaining are the elements that make your guests feel honored and comfortable. In light of this, with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the holidays approaching, raise the bar by offering your guests pretty little linen cocktail napkins! Nothing says ‘welcome’ more than greeting your guests at the door with a glass of bubbly along with an elegantly designed cocktail napkin. Voila, the scene is set and the party commences! Mummy used to say that paper napkins are for picnics and linen napkins are for lovely guests. Linen napkins can be personalized with embroidered monograms or whatever is meaningful to you, whether the name of your house, family crest, horses, endearment names, your personal quote, or anything else. There are such clever selections of cocktail napkins available that one could potentially collect a pretty set for every possible occasion, and why not?! Two additional benefits

Oh, how glorious it is to be connected to anyone, at just about any time, from a mobile phone.  It is paramount, however, to use it while not imposing on others. Just recently, I had the honor of giving a talk at the prestigious Tuckahoe Woman’s Club in Richmond, Virginia. They entertained me royally with their gracious, southern hospitality. It was a privilege to speak to an audience of 600 ladies who dressed in pink in my honor! Several lovely members were my appointed hostesses. They chauffeured me, hosted a dinner at the Commonwealth Club (crab cakes to die for!) and introduced me to the members at their club. Not once did I see any of these ladies take out their mobile phones, other than to take a photograph… truly! How refreshing it was to see all of these ladies living in the moment. And, granted, we were at two private clubs

There are umpteen etiquette rules on how to appropriately address various titles on envelopes, especially for wedding invitations. If you are simply addressing correspondence or informal invitations, below are some courtesies for you to consider. Unmarried Couples: When addressing an envelope to an unmarried couple who lives together, the secret cue they are not married is to write their names independently on two lines and without the word “and,” as in the example below. For example: Ms. Holly K. Eason Mr. R. Stuart Holden If you’re sending invitation to a couple living together as roommates, but not romantically involved, they should each receive their own invitation! For Married Couples: For a married couple, their names are joined together with “and,” and can be addressed on the same line. For example: Mr. and Mrs. R. Stuart Holden If the married couple has different last names, they can still appear on the same line. When

Whether you travel around the world or domestically, being a polite traveler is tantamount to being a thoughtful houseguest… the kind people appreciate and want to invite back to visit! Once you leave your local “kingdom,” you enter into new territory where customs, food, accents or language can vary. Yet, kindness and respect for others will always be your finest asset, anywhere! Assisting someone with their suitcase, whether picking it up off the baggage carousel or offering to help someone struggling to place a heavy carry-on in an overhead bin, is often appreciated. On my last flight to Ireland, an elderly gentleman offered to help me, but prefaced his offer by saying, “I hope you will not be insulted if I offer to help… but I would be happy to assist you if you would like me to!” It was brilliant manners on his part. By prefacing with respect for my independence as a woman, he

My darling grandson in England, a dapper dresser like his father, asked me if he should take his hat off when being introduced to someone… well, that certainly inspired me for the topic today! Gentlemen: Yes, a hat should be removed out of respect when being introduced to someone and especially with or while in the presence of a lady! For other occasions, a hat should be removed when the national anthem is played, upon entering a church, a restaurant, a private home, a school, a theater or movie, in a place of business, or during business meetings. A loose rule of thumb for men is to remove your hat when indoors or in the presence of a lady. A less formal, but still acceptable, gesture for gentlemen is to simply lift the hat off the head for a moment, nod, and place it back on. One may tip the hat by the