family

fam·i·ly

noun

two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place; a group of persons sharing common ancestry

the art of flirting

This one is all about the art of flirting and I went straight to one of my favorite books written by Deborah Ford, The GRITS Guide to Life, to give you all the best tips to flirts with your Southern gent. GRITS stands for Girls Raised In The South....





How to Flirt, Southern Style

• Smile while holding eye contact. It makes you appear approachable.


• Never cross your arms, or you'll send the message that he's not welcome.


• Flutter your eyelashes.


• Notice something special. Remember: flattery will get you everywhere.


• Put yourself in a target position - in the center of the room, not hidden away in a corner.


• Wear the right color. Pinkish peach is a known man magnet.


• Use the right scent. Men love vanilla and cinnamon. It reminds them of dessert.


• Be a good listener, but play hard to get.


• Be yourself and, for goodness sake, have fun!

wax on....wax off

Candlelight can set the perfect tone for a dinner party or make your home so wonderfully fragrant, but candles can also be a mess! I personally LOVE lighting candles but on more than one occasion I have had candle wax drip on to a favorite linen or get 'sprayed' when blowing the candle out. For years I thought I was just out of luck when this happened but then I learned the best trick to getting wax off of just about anything....and I want to share that with you! Very simple, all you have to do is plug in you clothing iron and place a paper bag over the spilled wax. Run the iron over the bag and it will just drink up the wax! So next time this happens to you, don't throw out that table runner or send it to the cleaners - just pull out a bag used for your kids brown bag lunch and get it up in minutes!

cocktail hour

noun

the art of letting the rest of your day fall through your fingers and enjoying your sweetheart's company over a couple of cocktails; can be casual or fancy in nature; unwinding

Cutie Pawtootie

For those of you who love your dogs as much as I love mine....you HAVE to check out these adorable bows! They are reasonably priced for the items and for shipping and are sure to make any pooch a fashion icon of the canine world...and isn't that what you want for your beloved pooch?








http://www.cutiepawtootie.etsy.com/

life lessons from famous women

"Tomorrow I'll think of some way . . .

after all,

tomorrow is another day."

Scarlett O'Hara

full name
Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler

pearls of wisdom...

Every....and I mean EVERY....female 5 to 95 should have a string of pearls in her jewelry box. It is not necessary to run out and spend your mortgage payments for the next six months on a string of Mikimoto pearls, but you should invest in some good quality pearls to have and possibly pass down to your daughter. Pearls can be worn for every occasion. Pair them with evening gown at a black tie event, add them to your Sunday best, dress up a tank and a pair of jeans or wear them while you clean the house! Wearing a pair of quality pearls is like carrying a Louis Vuitton purse...it gives you a license to wear whatever you want and carry it with class.

charm

noun

The power or quality of pleasing or delighting; attractiveness
A particular quality that attracts; a delightful characteristic

random etiquette

One of the best ways to show someone you care or to lend a helping hand is to make a homemade dish to bring to their home. Whether your friend had a baby or lost a loved one, bringing homemade food to someone is such a personal way to show that you care. After all it is the gift of time, one of our most precious commodities. Time that your friend put into the dish and the time you won't have to spend preparing the dish. This a long standing tradition in the South that is learned by southern belles from the time they are tots. It is wonderful to be on the receiving end of one these gifts, especially when life gets hectic and a friend shows up at the door and relieves you from having to think about what to do for dinner. There is a rule, however, to receiving this gift. More often than not, it will be given in a nice dish out of the kitchen of your friend, and sooner or later you are going to need to return that dish. You should NEVER return the dish without something in it. This does not mean if you receive a complicated casserole dish that you too need to make a complicated casserole dish, but you should put some cookies, muffins, etc. in the dish along with a thank you note as gesture of gratitude.

thank you notes

What are the etiquette rules of writing thank you notes? There are several different kinds of thank you notes that one can write...a wedding thank you note, a newborn thank you note, a thank you note in a time of grief...and there are etiquette rules that apply to each one. We want to share with you the rules pertaining to the most common of thank you notes....the gift thank you note.

Rule #1 Generally speaking, it is not necessary to write a thank you note to people with whom you live.

Rule #2 Thank you notes should be sent promptly. A good rule of thumb to be safe is within a week of receiving the gift.

Rule #3 Under no circumstances is it acceptable to send a thank you note via email.

Rule #4 Thank you notes should ALWAYS be hand written.

Rule #5 Address the person(s) in the same way that the card was signed.

Rule #6 Avoid being vague. Instead of saying "thank you for the wonderful gift", say "thank you for the beautiful serving dish".

Rule #7 If someone gives you a monetary gift you should send a thank you note express your gratitude for their generous gift. It is also thoughtful to send a follow up thank you note saying how the money was spent.

On a side note, a child by the age of 7 years old should be expected to write his or her own thank you notes.

The Social Bee

As you all may have noticed there have not been any recent blog entries. This is because Angie and I have been working hard at getting our website up and running. There are a few more steps that need to be taken and then The Social Bee website will be ready for your shopping pleasure! I will send out some more detailed information soon regarding our online shop! We are so excited!

Thank you!

Jennifer & Angie