Table Setting and Sitting Etiquettes

Recently I organized a formal dinner for a family friend and came to realize how little people know about place setting. The hosts usually face the predicament of how many plates to make available, and the guest often don't know why there are two forks when one can do the trick just fine. 


frankly, even when one is eating at home with family, the tablescape should be paid attention to notwithstanding; consider it makeup for the table. Just putting the glass on the correct side matters much on a subconscious level. Truly. Haven't we seen enough movies where even when the person is eating alone (s)he makes it a point to arrange the table before sitting in their own company - I don't know about you, but I have always found that classy!



So, to make it easier for all of you I did a quick research to tip you on table setting and sitting etiquettes.









(via The Washington Post)


If you are planning to serve soup then follow this setting:











If you are the guest, here are a few tips for you: 


Rules on flatware:
Start from the outside and work your way in toward the plate as the meal progresses. Usually, the big fork is for the entree; the big spoon for the soup. Any utensils placed horizontally above your plate are for dessert.

Which drink is yours:

Here's an easy tip to help you remember. Make a circle with your thumb and forefinger. Your left hand will form a "b" and your right hand will form a "d."Bread (b) is on your left; drink (d) is on your right.

Once the utensils are used:

It never goes back on the table. When you're taking a break, rest your fork and knife entirely on the plate. When you are finished, place them diagonally on the plate, side by side, with the handles at 4 o'clock. The knife blade should face the center of the plate, not point out toward another guest (an ancient sign of aggression).

Miscellaneous 

If bread rolls are served, break the bread between your fingersrather than cut it.


When eating soup, always move the soup spoon away from you to the other side of the dish and "sip" the soup (quietly!) from it.


In some circumstances it may be appropriate for a finger bowl to be served, for example where ribs have been served. In which case, one should gently clean the fingers in the warm scented water and dry them on one's napkin.





Remember, tablescaping always gives the room a grand aesthetic feel; translating into a genuine way of welcoming the guests and impressing them all-in-one!

Quick tip for wrinkle-less clothes

Karachi is becoming just like New York where people's fast paced life is concerned, and like Thailand where traffic is concerned. We all have too many places to go and too much traffic to cross, that by the time we reach our destination we look like used tissue papers (for the lack of a better analogy. Go with it). I too face the same dilemma - although I'm already at the destination/event, working all day long makes me look like a crumpled paper (stay with me, this is going somewhere) by the time guests arrive. 

So, as I was procrastinating today (la de da) I came upon this lifesaving tip that removes wrinkles from your clothes in a jiffy, no matter where you are! 

I

had

to

share

! 

As lifehacker says and I quote:

DIY blog Stylelist Home suggests you can fix those wrinkles no matter where you are by wiping down the shirt with a damp towel.

The nice thing about the damp towel trick is that it's possible to do in the restroom at work. If you don't have a cloth towel, paper towels can work in a pinch. Lay the shirt on a counter, press down with the damp towel, and you're done. If you have an hand dryer, stretch the shirt out under the dryer so it dries quick and continue on with your day. Of course, if you notice the wrinkles before you leave the house."

*Throwing my arms into air in Laurie from CougarTown style 'wut wut'*

Henceforth we all shall look like those Beverly Hill real housewives who, bytheway, even have skins with zero wrinkles!

Faucetwards, all you with Mary Poppin bags!

(There are more tips on how to remove wrinkles without an iron here >  Stylist Home)

Flowers, dried or fresh.

Small gatherings are so much fun to decorate! There is o much that can be done. The possibilities are numerous. For instance the following that I found at Weddingbee

This bride went all the way for her wedding and played with the concpet of dried flowers and the final product is fabulous! See for yourself.

V-Day Printables.

The cynic in me always says love is just another four letter word, but the idealist in me always shuts the bastard up with heavy amounts of chocolate. And while the fool is still gorging on some, let me quickly slip in a few adorable Valentine's Day printable that I found here and there for the forgetful/less creative/busy/lets-just-get-it-over-with ones amongst us!

The site to download this from.

The site to download this from.

 

The site to download this from.

The site for this download.

Some of these are mighty adorable. Now all you need is a printable. oh, and someone to give them cuties too <3

Have a great day!

Paper Sparklers!

A very happy new year to all my avid readers/followers. I hope you had a dandy celebration on nye. I did! 
Although, frankly speaking there is not much that can be done here, what with the abandoned trucks menacingly blocking roads, and rightly so, people here don;t know what control is. 


Anyway, enough of that, off to the fun part I go. I know I should have put this earlier so you people could use them on new years eve, but my busy schedule prevented any such post. however, it's never too late, right?


:)


Today we will learn how to make paper sparklers that are children-safe and a lot of fun for them!


You will need:

• Festive straw 

• Wooden skewers

• Vellum Paper in red, white and blue colors (we don't get any here so I used those L files instead)

• Scotch tape

• Scissors

Cut a piece of paper about 4 inches by 3 inches. Make very small fringe cuts almost all the way through as shown above, leaving about 1/2 at the top uncut.

Starting at one end of the uncut section, carefully roll the paper up as tight as possible (you'll want that end to fit into the end of a straw so make sure it's a  super tight roll!)

Stick it into the end of the straw. In all three I made with the dimensions I gave it fit perfectly, nice and tightly into the straw but you may need to snip off an inch or so at the end of your roll to make it work. You shouldn't need any tape but you can always add a small piece around the top where it meets the straw for added sturdiness.

Festive straws look great but they aren't very sturdy. Here we cut down a skewer to about the same size (just not larger) of the straw and inserted it into the middle of the straw to add structure to the inside. Use a small piece of tape at the end to keep it inside.

Bend the paper a little bit to give the sparklers a little poofing up

Enjoy a safe New Yea...umm...ENJOY! :D

(source)

Tis the season.

Jingle bells, jingle bells - ho, ho, ho!


Yeap, it's that time of the year when kids at the signal have started selling Santa hats, when the Emporium Mall has put an inflated Santa at their entrance, when Agha's and such have started selling christmas tree decor. There is no snow, no sleigh, no SALE and possibly no gifts, but just a reason to celebrate.


And in this spirit why get left behind.


Here are few fun decorations you can make, of course you can buy the ones in the stores but where is the fun in that, pssh.

Christmas ornament you can make with colored papers or magazine pages. 


ONE:
 The instructions:

1. Cut out 10 paper circles (any size, as long as they're all the same). Text weight paper will be easier to work with than cardstock.
2. Cut each circle along the radius.
3. Put a small piece of double-stick tape on each side of the cut near the edge of the paper.
4. Flip the circle over so the taped side is down; then pull each flap across the circle toward you and twist to form a cone. Press the taped ends down to secure. You should end up with two cones that look vaguely like a fortune cookie. Do this to each of your 10 circles.

5. String the double cones together with a needle and thread. Make sure they're gathered snugly in a ball and tie a knot. Use the trailing ends of the thread to make a loop for hanging.
Here's one made from magazine pages. If you like recycled crafts, give it a whirl.

TWO:

You'll need: 

Paper, scissors, a circular object for a template, a ruler, pencil, needle, thread, rubber band, and glue.

Instructions:

1. Cut out ten paper circles, using a jar lid or CD for a template. (My circles are 5" in diameter. I stacked sheets of computer paper and cut out several circles at once.)



2. In each circle, cut eight evenly spaced slits toward the middle, stopping about a half inch from the center point.

3. With a pointed pen or sharp pencil, curl each tab into a cone and secure with a dot of glue. If you can pull off a tightly rolled perfect point, congratulations. I was running a little low on patience and settled for "sort of pointy," which I think also looks nice.

4. Cut two small pieces from a wide rubber band. These will hold the ornament together at each end.

5. Thread a needle and knot the ends of the thread together. String on one of the rubber band pieces.

6. Push the needle through the centers of five stars with their flat sides face down. Turn over the remaining five stars so their flat sides are facing up and thread them on, followed by the second rubber band piece.5. Thread a needle and knot the ends of the thread together. String on one of the rubber band pieces.

7. With a chopstick or pencil, push down on the rubber band to compress the stars into a ball while pulling upward on the string with your other hand. The rubber should hold the stack together without requiring a knot. Adjust the paper cones as needed to make a pleasing shape.

8. Tie a loop in the thread for hanging if desired.

THREE:


Instructions:

1. Cut the paper into strips that are 3.5" long and 0.5" wide. (This makes a small ornament about 3" in diameter.) Cut 9 strips of each color. Cut two 0.75" circles. Tracing around a penny works nicely.


2. Fold the paper strips in half. A crisp fold isn't needed; just a light crease will do.

3. String a bead onto a length of thread. Then push both ends of thread through the needle so the thread is doubled.

4. Poke the needle through one of the circles to string it next to the bead. Then string on all the paper strips near one end, alternating colors. 

5. After all the paper strips are added, begin threading the opposite ends onto the string. To do this, start with the strip you put on first (the one next to the paper circle). Take its loose end and push the needle through it. Continue threading on the paper strips in order. They'll naturally begin to fan out as you go.

6. Add the second paper circle.



7. Pull the needle off the thread. Feed the bead onto one of the loose ends of thread, then tie both ends of thread in a knot to hold the bead on next to the circle. If your ornament hangs a little crooked, thread the needle again and push both ends of thread up through the underside of the bead and out through the top so both ends of thread emerge. Tie off a loop and hang that spaceship.

 


Play with the colours, be creative!

Kink and Pink - Bachelorette Party

The night before last I went to a hen's party, and may I say God bless our trips to other countries (in this case UK) that provide us with adorable and convenient decor. It made me think, what about people who can't get things from abroad in time? Can't fly in the cute martini glass confetti, shot glass necklaces, funkay eyewear et al.

God bless DIY and event planners (ahem).

There is nothing our blessed country can't do x2 better and x10 cheaper [insert victorious laugh].

One thing to remember for a bachelorette party: Kink and Pink go hand in hand.

Having said that there still needs to be a theme that is individually yours. From the plethora of ideas, I'm showing you girls a peek into one.

It's Sex and the City inspired. So think like them. Decorate shoes, use rhinestones, feathers, buckles, belts... go wild!









Don't forget to include fun games!