Good guests bring good gifts – especially if you’re invited for a summer weekend and will be enjoying the hospitality of friends for several days. You want to be invited back, don’t you? So here is a list of hostess gifts in varying price ranges to put a smile on the face of even the most beleaguered we’ve-had-guests-every-weekend-this-summer hosts. Everyone loves a good beach candle. Shop now If you don’t have room to pack a gift, send something wonderful ahead […]
We social secretaries stick together, and whenever there’s a new White House Social Secretary, we all want to meet her, give lots of unasked-for advice, and offer our support. The newest White House Social Secretary, Deesha Dyer, is an extraordinary woman who won’t need help because she’s already accomplished so much in her young life. I recently threw a small luncheon in her honor to introduce her to other Washingtonians whose paths she is likely to cross in her work, […]
This is a subject that makes people nervous, because nobody wants to invite friends over and then worry about whether or not they set the table properly – or, worse, that they might use the wrong fork or bread plate at an important dinner and embarrass themselves. Like it or not, table manners are a reflection of one’s education, and people can be judgmental about it. There’s no need to memorize a long list of arcane rules; good manners are […]
I recently had the most educational and entertaining visit to Frank Milwee Antiques, one the hidden treasures of Georgetown. Mr. Milwee sells 17th-21st century silver, as well an astounding collection of vintage corkscrews and wine paraphernalia. When I worked at the White House and we needed place card holders, Frank Milwee Antiques produced them (see photo below), and I’ve been a fan for many years. People are sometimes reluctant to use or buy silver because they don’t want to clean […]
About twenty years ago I was wandering down Walton Street in London when I came upon a little perfume shop called Jo Malone. It had just opened, and the fragrances were so pure and unique, and the packaging so simple, that it was a revelation. I bought as much as I thought I could stuff into my suitcase, not realizing that Jo Malone perfumes were too good an idea to remain in a tiny shop in west London for long. […]
