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Posts from the ‘Yes You Can’ Category

Savvy Secrets – Spring Cleaning

Savvy secrest photo

It’s that time of year again and your home is just waiting for that annual domestic ritual….Spring cleaning.  Here are some great savvy secrets to make your work easier and things sparkle 🙂

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She Left Us So Much – Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy

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If we had to pick five people in the world who had left their mark on fashion, certainly Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy would be one of those five! Read more

“Beautifying” Savvy Secrets

SAVVY SECRETS

You guessed it!  More Savvy Secrets ….. this time to keep you beautiful!

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Top Off Your Outfit With A Hat!

Ruth and Jack
Growing up in England, it was very commonplace to see ladies, and gentlemen for that matter, in hats.  My darling Mother wore hats all the time.  A lot of luncheons she attended called for a hat and definitely when my parents went to the races, be it Ascot, the Derby or any other special one, she would always have a wonderful hat on her head with Father beside her in his top hat and tails. Read more

Did You Know – Bacon Grease

Your mother or grandmother…especially if they happened to be southern…may have kept a can for collecting bacon grease on the back of the stove.  You may have wondered where the tradition came from.  Here’s your answer:)

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Did You Know -Why We Say That? (Part 2)

We all uses terms and phrases everyday and never know where they came from or what the origin of them is.  From time to time we like to shed some light on some of these sayings and share what their origins are. Read more

Do Good


We came across these very profound thoughts from Mother Teresa.  We are not feeling the need to add anything to them as they speak worlds all on their own.   Read more

Did You Know – Cinnamon and Honey

Some really good and interesting info has come out regarding the healing properties of Cinnamon and Honey. Read more

Hearts Full of Color

Homemade crayon hearts.  Make them yourself or with your little ones and you’ll not only make some beautiful crayons, you’ll make some great fun.  Every mother or grandmother needs a project like this that she can pull out of her special “bag of tricks” 🙂
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More Savvy Secrets!

Oh golly, we have some wonderful Savvy Secrets for you today. Read more

Can’t Find It? Just Substitute!

How many times, when you are excited to make something, do you go to the larder and find that you do not have one of the main ingredients?  Here is a list of a few things that you can substitute out that you might find helpful for the next time that happens. Read more

Can’t Find It? Substitute!

How many times, when you are excited to make something, do you go to the larder and find that you do not have one of the main ingredients?  Here is a list of a few things that you can substitute out that you might find helpful for the next time that happens. Read more

Let Them Play With The Dough


There are few things that all of us share as memories of childhood but it seems that play dough is one of them.  There is  something so soothing about playing with that smooth, soft dough.  Rolling it into long “ropes” and squishing it between our fingers, many of us could pass many happy hours just playing with our play dough. Read more

Did You Know – CFL Bulbs?

What you don’t know actually CAN hurt you…and especially can hurt those little people and pets you love! Read more

Kitchenesque Savvy Secrets!

Some fabulous easy-to-follow tips for your work in the kitchen! Read more

Set the Alarm


Put your car keys beside your bed at night.  Read more

The “Other” Rose Bowl

Know someone who is celebrating a birthday, anniversary, a job well done or who is under the weather and could use a bit of joy?  A simple and simply beautiful arrangement of roses is always a welcome gift. Read more

Savvy Secrets for 2013!

Some Savvy Secrets to start off 2013! Read more

The Twelve Days of Christmas


We have all heard or sung this song hundreds of times throughout the holidays but did you ever stop to wonder what it is really all about?  Partirdges in pear trees and maids a milking…very strange indeed unless you know the history behind this lovely carol.  Now you will 🙂 Read more

Last Minute Gift ideas

Christmas is one week from today.  Are there still people on your list that you just can’t figure out what the right gift would be…an uncle, a grandfather, a niece or nephew? We have some ideas. Is there someone who has everything and you wonder  what could you give them that would be special or meaningful for them?  Or maybe your budget is wearing thin and you still have teachers or neighbors, the postman or gardener or babysitter you want to remember…we have some ideas for those gifts too. Read more

Yeah! More Savvy Secrets!

Here we are again with more Savvy Secrets!  We know that sugar is a sweetener but can it be helpful as well?  Read more

Advent Calendars? Almost Time!

It is always such fun to put up the advent calendar and count down the days to Christmas! Read more

Wrap, Wrap, Wrap, A-round The Clock!

The holidays are upon us and what would the holiday season be without a few beautifully wrapped presents?   Read more

Vote!

What a privilege it is to be a citizen of a country where you have the right to vote!  And, as usual, when privilege comes, there comes also responsibility! Read more

Color Your Own – Yes, Your Hair!


“Oh, I could never do that!”  We hear this all the time when we mention, “Why don’t you color your own hair?” Read more

Yeah! Even MORE Savvy Secrets!

Thanks, Lynette, for sending us these wonderful tips.   Read more

Play With Your Pumpkins


There is more than one  way to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween…and a lot of creative fun to be had in the process 🙂

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Welcoming Autumn In

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Hot soups on the stove, leaves crunching under foot, trees ablaze with color – fall has arrived!

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Yes, More Savvy Secrets!

Oh golly, it is always so great to receive Savvy Secrets from all of you!  Our dear Chum, Nancie, sent these to us so, with joy, we are sharing them with you.

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Please, if you know of any Savvy Secrets that you think other people would be able to use, let us know.  We will be glad to share them.  After all, what are Chums for?

Joyously,

 

 

 

A Post Script

This being corn season, we thought we would give you an extra Savvy Secret this morning…..how to husk your corn!

Enjoy and may this add to the abundance in your lives!

 

A Very Savvy Secret for Husking Corn


One of our chums, Jan, sent us a great savvy secret for husking corn…we want to share it with you, our other chums 🙂

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First Stirrings….

The amazing age of communication in which we now live had its first stirrings in the 1870’s when Alexander Graham bell invented the telephone.  Although the telephone is what the world remembers this gentleman for, his passion was actually something different. Read more

Shhhh! Savvy Secrets With Bounce!

 

Again, a dear friend, Hilary, sent us these Bounce Savvy Secrets which we are thrilled to share with all of you.   Read more

All’s Well That Ends Well


Today I want to share with you one of my family’s favorite meals…..Chicken Stroganoff, a lighter version of the more well known beef stroganoff.  It is simple to prepare, can be made several days ahead of the time you plan to serve it, (it just gets better as it sits), and is one of those meals that after tasting it, people always request to have the recipe.  The way I happened to make it came about in one of those happy mishaps life sometimes gives us 🙂

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Household Items Which Have Savvy Secrets!

Yes, more Savvy Secrets for you!  This time they contain great uses of items that you have in your household.  Again, these were shared with us and we joyfully pass them along! Read more

Savvy Secrets From Your Pantry

As you all know, we love to share Savvy Secrets and invite you, always, to share yours with us to pass along.  Recently, we were given these Savvy Secrets using things from one’s pantry from our chum Hilary.  Although we have not tried them, we feel sure they will be helpful to one and all! Read more

Old Things -New Life

As we wrap up our week about decorating tips and ideas, today we want to talk about giving new life to favorite old items.  Like people, favorite things that have gone beyond their usefulness in their original purpose, can be given new life and new purposes.
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Old Sofa? – Give It The Slip


Do you have any older furniture in your home that you really love but that frankly is looking a bit tired?  And the cost of new upholstery isn’t in the budget right now?  Slipcovers may just be the answer 🙂
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Collectors, We Certainly Are!

Continuing on with our “house to home” theme of this week, your Two Chums both enjoy having “collections” of things.  These collections vary and could be almost anything, really.   Read more

A Bed With A Head!


I don’t know about you, but I find that a bed without a headboard or lots of pretty pillow shams lined up across the back, looks unfinished.  Besides that, if you want to sit up in bed and read, for example, it is not so comfortable against the hard wall. Read more

A House Or A Home?

The first thing I do when I move house is make the new one my “home”.  Yes, there is a difference, I am sure you all agree. Read more

The Joy of Napkins

Napkins have been around longer than you may think.  The ancient Romans are known to have used cloth napkins to protect from food spill and to wipe the mouth. The guests at a dinner brought their own napkins and carried away left-over food in them. With the fall of Roman Empire, napkins disappeared from the dining table.
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You’ve Got A Place At The Table

Everyone likes to feel wanted.  That is why Jackie and I feel so strongly about using place cards when we invite anyone to a gathering where we will be sitting down to a meal.  They tell the person whose name is on the card “we’re glad you are here and we planned on you coming.”  Besides that, place cards can be just plain fun to design and make!
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Pretty Feet


You might be thinking that your Two Chums, or at least this Chum, has a foot fetish.  We have mentioned ways to help your feet look better several times in the last several weeks.  Here is one more…so now you can be sure I have a foot fetish 🙂
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Store your bags here!

What to do with all of those plastic bags that you receive when buying different items at the store?   We have found this wonderful way to store them! Read more

How “Chic”!

 

If you were asked if you speak French, you might feel that your answer would have to be “no” but, in fact, there are words and phrases that we use in the English language all the time which are definitely French.

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A Good Soak


Most people these days take showers but there is nothing better than the occasional good soak in the bath tub…..and, even better, a good soak with some wonderfully scented bath salts. Read more

Did You Know What That Means?


Here is a potpourri of very interesting historical facts that you more than likely have never heard about.  It will help you to understand some of the phrases and terms we commonly use but maybe have never thought about their meanings or origins until now….
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Potpourri of Savvy Secrets

One of our chums, Lisa, shared this potpourri of very useful Savvy Secrets and now we are passing it on to you, the rest of our chums 🙂
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Read All About It!


Oh, the joys of reading!  Nothing better than sitting down with a good book quietly and imbibing its contents.  Actually, there IS something better, in our minds, and that is sitting down with our grandchildren, our little ones, and reading books to THEM.

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Pack It With Love


Maybe the hardest thing about back to school for all mothers is packing lunches….particularly if you happen to have a picky eater.

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Get Involved!

When I was told at a particular school that there was no PTA, I knew that this was not the school for our son, Trevor! Read more

School Days


Oh it is that time again!  Backpacks and lunch boxes are reappearing as the first day of school approaches.  And in nearly every store you enter you see mothers and children shopping for back to school necessities.
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Savvy Secrets for Vinegar -Part 2


If you liked the list we gave you on Monday for some creative personal and household uses for vinegar, you’re going to love this list!
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The Graciousness of an Orchid

Your Two Chums really do love to have fresh flowers around, either those cut from the garden or bought at the Flower Market or grocery store.  Obviously, a plant lasts much longer than cut flowers and a favorite of ours is the orchid. Read more

Savvy Secrets for Vinegar -Part 1


It’s no secret, that whenever possible, your Two Chums like to use simple and natural products. So we were thrilled to come across so many great uses for that bottle of distilled white vinegar you have in your cupboard.

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How Good is your English?


There are two kinds of English….the original, the one spoken in England, and the one we speak here in America.  Your Two Chums have fun comparing words used that are completely different but mean exactly the same thing.

Jackie grew up in England and Robin here in Southern California.  We thought it would be a fun exercise to show you, through two letters saying exactly the same thing, how two completely different words can mean exactly the same thing.  The first letter will be the British English version and the second, the American English version.  Here’s your chance to see how good of an English translator you really are. Read more

Sweet Smell Of Success

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Over the last two weeks we have been linking our posts here at Two Chums, to topics that are in some way related to the Olympics. So, you might be asking yourself what coconut has to do with the Olympics or The Sweet Smell Of Success….a good question, so allow me to explain.
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Savvy Secrets of Cucumbers


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who knew of the many uses of a cucumber?  We were amazed when one of our Chums, Wendy, sent us this list of fantastic uses for cucumbers and felt that you should all know about them as well.

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Putting Your Best Foot Forward


Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a Mom on the run, we all need to pay attention to our feet.   Read more

Popcorn – a Gold Medal Snack


Ready, set, go.  London is ready and the world is waiting to see the Opening Ceremonies of the XXX Olympic Games tonight.  Televisions are tuned, DVR’s are set to record, sofa cushions are fluffed and eyes agog!  Everything is ready.  All we need now is a Gold Medal snack.

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Little Ones On The Go -Traveling With Children


August is quickly approaching and for many that means summer vacation and traveling with children.  Jackie and I have a bit of experience with this, both with our own children and now with our grandchildren.  So we have some ideas that might be helpful if you’re about to pack up and head for a fun and relaxing destination.
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Savvy Secrets for Packing


Whether you are taking a summer’s weekend away, going on a two-week holiday across the country or traveling to London to the Olympics, a good packing job will help ensure that you look your best at the other end. Read more

Color Me Red

As you can tell, your Two Chums see great value in a new coat of paint and that is not only on their walls and furniture but also on their lips!

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Not Just Like New – Better Than New!

 


One of the things I have come to enjoy over the years is painting furniture.  There is a real satisfaction in being able to take an old and tired piece and make it truly better than new.
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The Walls Are A-Glaze

Today we continue our week of painting ideas and tips by taking a look at applying glaze to the walls of a room to achieve a faux finish.  So pretty, and easier than you might think to do yourself.
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A Miracle That’s All In The Method

This week we are looking at things that can be transformed with paint….walls, furniture, bathtubs….wait…bathtubs?  Well the bathtubs aren’t exactly painted in the traditional sense, but they can be transformed with a technique that looks like painting and gives the appearance of a whole new tub!
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Savvy Secrets for Painting

Your Two Chums love to paint!  Painting completely makes things new!  Through the years, we have learned many things about painting and want to share some of those tips with you. Read more

Herbal Delights


There are so many wonderful ways to use fresh herbs whether from your own garden or a neighbor’s or friend’s garden, or from the local farmers’ market or grocery store.  So today we are going to share just a few of our favorites with you.
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The Language of Herbs

 

As you know, your Two Chums love the idea of sitting down and penning a note to convey their feelings but there is another, very fun, way to do exactly that…… through herbs and flowers.  Read more

Storing Herbs

All this week we have been focusing on one of our favorite garden topics…herbs.

If you are growing herbs in your garden or in a terra cotta pot kitchen garden, you may not need to store them as you can cut just as much as you need for any given meal.  But if you are buying herbs at the local farmer’s market or the grocery store or Trader Joe’s, you will want to store whatever unused portion is left to have for another day.  Below are some tips for how to best store a few common herbs and keep them fresh as long as possible.  Though you can wrap and store them in the refrigerator, I have found that keeping them in a cool place in one inch of water in a small glass keeps them fresh long enough for you to use them.  If you think they are about to start wilting, use them up with some of the suggestions listed below.

If you have some ideas or experience with herbs you are willing to tell us about please write to us by clicking on the little envelope icon at the right side of the website or leave a comment in the comment section.  We want to share your good ideas with all our chums for more joy, more love and much more abundant leaving for all.  🙂

 

 

 

Basil and Mint

Storing it: Keep at room temperature in a glass of water for up to a week

How to use it up: Mince and combine with sugar for an aromatic fruit topping.

 

Chives

Storing it: In a sealed plastic bag in the crisper for 1 to 2 weeks.

How to use it up: Chop and combine with softened unsalted butter; drop chunks on top of just-cooked steaks, pork chops, or fish.

 

Cilantro or Parsley

Storing it:  In the refrigerator wrapped in plastic for up to 5 days.

How to use it up:   Puree 1 cup leaves with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 clove garlic to make a pesto; use on pasta or as a dip for bread.

 

Rosemary

Storing it:  In the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag for up to 5 days.

How to use it up:   Whole branches make a perfect bed for roasted vegetables, or tuck them into the cavity of a chicken or other bird before roasting.

 

Sage

Storing it: In an unsealed plastic bag in the crisper for 3 to 5 days.

Use it up:  Saute in butter until the butter browns and then store in refrigerator as a sauce for pork or chicken.

 

Thyme

Storing it:  In an unsealed plastic bag in the crisper for up to 1 week.

How to use it up:  Add chopped leaves to a skillet of sausage or bacon.

The Joy of Growing Herbs


This week all of our posts will be about herbs in one way or another.  Today we want to talk about how to grow herbs.  Growing herbs is not hard at all, in fact a child can do it.  My 8 year old grandson, Jeremy, actually planted the parsley plant pictured here on my kitchen window sill. He started the plant from seeds in a little dixie cup and as they sprouted and began to grow, we transfered them to this terra cotta pot.  In he walked, one day after school, and beaming he announced, “Lolli (my grandma name) this is for you.  I planted some parsley and I wanted you to have it because you love to cook and I thought you would really like to have it in your kitchen.” He was so excited and I was so proud of him.  There is something very satisfying, no matter what your age, about putting some seeds in the dirt, adding some water and in a few days watching the little sprouts pop their heads up out of the soil looking for some rays of sunlight.  I love Jeremy and I love having this special reminder of him in my kitchen greeting me every morning.

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A 50/50 Ice Cream Dream Come True


If you grew up in the Baby Boomer era you no doubt remember that consummate icon of summer ….the Good Humor Ice Cream truck.

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BBQ – Pulled Pork

When most people hear the term “barbeque” or “barbecue” or just “BBQ” they think of someone standing over a grill with flames, flipping burgers or steaks.  Yet as anyone with southern origins will tell you, that is “grillin”…..REAL barbeque is something very different.  Real barbeque is a slow method of cooking that involves smoke and a lot of time and eventually produces tender, succulent, flavorful goodness that can’t be rushed.  Depending on where in the south you are, pork or beef will be the meat of choice and of course there is the difference in sauces regionally as well.  But at the end of the day any meat slow cooked and infused with smokey flavor is delicious no matter which part of the country it comes from.
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Savvy Secrets for Grilling


Just 2 more days until people all over the country fire up their grills and barbeques for the country’s celebration of Independence Day, July 4th!  Here are some helpful hints, better known by your Two Chums as Savvy Secrets….. for grilling….. Read more

The Bees Know!


Nothing is better in summer than sweet, ripe, delicious fruit.  Earlier this week we wrote about peaches.  Today we are talking about melons….specifically how to pick a good melon and then how to cut it.
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Cover Up!


Celebrating this great Nation’s birthday tends to bring out the beach in most people and so we thought it would be fun to share something with you that will add to your Fourth of July beach outfit.  Read more

Happy Birthday Jackie!


Please join me in wishing my dear “Chum” many happy returns of the day and another year full of love, joy and abundant living!

 

Over A Cup of Tea – Storing Recipes and “PG Tips”


We had a couple things we thought it would be fun to share with you today.  They are totally unrelated except that they are things we love and wanted to pass them along to you, our “Chums”.
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A Little Bit of Paint Works Wonders

(We’ve added the video that should have been here earlier:)
Yes, we have done a lot of painting in our time!  On the walls, on furniture, on clothing, you name it, we have done it.  When we had our little shop called Chums, we were often out faux painting a customer’s walls in this way or that.
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Tablecloths – How to “Dress Up” Your Table

Just like a great dress on a woman stands out, so a great tablecloth on a table “speaks” as well.  Unless you have a really lovely table with beautiful legs or a handsome pedestal, a tablecloth is a very ‘good thing’ as Martha would say.  Most of us don’t have our grandmothers beautiful antique mahogany table and chairs in our dining room or something comparable  as an accent table in our living rooms or entryways.  But a table is a very practical piece of furniture to have in almost any room.  So if yours isn’t particularly beautiful on it’s own, you may want to think about “dressing it up” with a table cloth.
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Savvy Secrets for Brides

We have put together a few Savvy Secrets for Brides but a lot of these pertain to anyone who is hosting an event.  Enjoy! Read more

Weddings – Expect The Unexpected


We have talked a lot this week about being sure to hold onto your joy throughout the weeks and months leading up to your wedding and today we are really stressing that point as, inevitably, some things will go “sideways”, as they say, and you want to be in a position, emotionally, to handle those moments well. Read more

Save This Very Important Date

 


Oh my goodness, you have decided to get married and are planning for that wonderful event to take place.  It might be months away, it might be two years away but the first thing you are going to want to do, especially if you have relatives and friends coming from all over the country and globe, is to send out “Save The Date” cards. Read more

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Chums!  Whether you are a mother or not, we feel sure that you all have wonderful mothering qualities that you use to bless.

The Post you got this morning gives you a taste of what’s to come next week!

With love from you Two Chums.

 

Savvy Secrets for Mothers

This week, being our week for “Mothering”, we are including Savvy Secrets for Mothers.  Every mother needs these to stay ahead of the game! Read more

You Can’t Outgive Your Mother


The second Sunday in every May brings joy for some and anxiety for others!  “What on earth can I give my mother?” you ask.  Perhaps it is because trying to find something meaningful enough to give to the person who actually gave you life can be difficult. Read more

Style Secrets – Shoes and Hats

We have always enjoyed “embellishing” store bought items with a bit of a personal touch and others seem to enjoy what we do as well.   For this reason, we thought it would be fun to share a couple of ideas with you.

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Savvy Secrets

It’s that time again.  As you know from time to time we want to share with you some helpful and interesting ideas that will make life simpler, easier, tidier, and maybe just more beautiful.  Check out these savvy secrets.  There are bound to be some here you will appreciate.  Read more

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip


Upon the death of George VI, a young Lilibet, his eldest child, ascended to the Throne of the British Empire.  The pomp and circumstance of her coronation came a year later in 1953. Read more

What Shall We Feed Them?


We have talked all this week about the various aspects of having a”smart” dinner party.  You may be asking yourself  “What exactly are they talking about when they say “smart”?  It is possible that you have thought we have been referring to a ‘smart dinner party’ as in having a chic sort of affair. Your party may very well be quite chic, and hopefully very lovely and wonderfully fun.  But what we really mean by ‘smart  dinner party’ is one where the host or hostess is smart enough to plan ahead and do things in as fine, but simplified a manner as possible, so as to be able to really enjoy the party.
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The Smart Hostess – Dressing The Part


(Ruth Forsyth-Smith, Jackie’s mum, on the far right looking quite stunning circa 1964)

What fun!  You have decided to give a dinner party …… now, what will you wear?

When you are in the planning stages of an event, one of the things you will think about is what you would like the “dress” to be.  The “dress” sets the stage for the type of evening you are going to enjoy.  You know, years ago, in the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire days, when people went out to dinner, they more often than not, wore “Black Tie”.  By “Black Tie” it is meant that the gentleman wears a tuxedo and the lady wears a dressy dress – not necessarily a long dress but a party dress, as we like to call them.  We have often had parties where “Black Tie” was the attire and, oh boy, have we loved having them!  There is something rather special when everyone who comes in your door has made a huge effort to dress up to come to your party.  It denotes an elegance about the evening.  Very rarely these days does one get invited to a dinner party that is Black Tie but, on the other hand, many weddings are still “Black Tie”.  When you see “Black Tie” in the bottom right corner of your invitation, be sure that your husband, boyfriend, partner, wears a tuxedo and that you dress up accordingly.  When those two words are written on an invitation, there is not an option.  He must show up in a tuxedo!  If he does not own one, be sure to help him rent one.  If, on the other hand, your invitation states “Black Tie Optional”, your hostess is letting you know that the occasion is a special one and that, ladies, you need to dress up. Gentlemen, if you do not own a tuxedo, no need to rent one – a dark suit will do just as well.

If you would like your dinner party to be a little bit special, you might say “Cocktail Attire” which would mean that dressing up is in order!  Until a few years ago, “Cocktail Attire” would automatically have meant a jacket and tie for the gentlemen.   Today, especially here in California where we live, things are a little more casual and a lot of gentlemen do not don a tie very often.  There are certain private clubs which still maintain a “jacket and tie” rule so if you are giving a party at a private club or have been invited to such an evening, make sure you know the dress.  These clubs usually have jackets and ties on hand to lend to a gentleman, should he turn up without them but how much better for him to be in clothes of his own choosing!

As hostess, you will set the tone.   If you have told your guests that it is a casual evening, be sure that you dress casually.   Otherwise, your guests will feel very uncomfortable.

Choose something that you feel great in.  If you are having a problem thinking of something, remember what we said about the “little black dress“!    Certainly, that is always appropriate.  If you are the one doing all the cooking and serving for your dinner party, make sure you are in something that is comfortable and practical.  Do not wear a top with long, flowy sleeves, for example, which might catch on fire when you put the peas on to cook!   That top is better saved for an evening when you are out and being served!

My father’s job, as I was growing up, required a lot of entertaining.   It seemed that most evenings, my darling parents were entertaining or being entertained.  My mother had a wonderful wardrobe full of stunning dresses which she wore extremely well.   Fortunately for my father, my mother loved it all and did it beautifully – always with a smile on her face and love in her heart.   I am grateful to have learned from her – she taught by doing herself!

Make sure, when you are giving you next dinner party, that you add to the love, joy and abundant living in the world!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does The Knife Go On This Side Or That?


Setting a beautiful table for your guests to feast their eyes upon is a joy to do!  There is nothing prettier than to see the sparkle of the glassware, the shinny silver, and the crisp linens. Read more

Bone China or Porcelain?


Years ago, when we were engaged to be married, one of the things that we invariably did was choose a china pattern.  It was wonderful fun making the decision and imagining all the fabulous dinner parties at which you would be using these beautiful pieces.  I know, these days, many young ladies prefer not to spend the money on fine china but, definitely, up until not too long ago, it was a “must”!   Certainly, if you think you will never use it, then it really is a waste but if there is a chance that you will want to have special dinner parties or holiday meals, it is always fun to bring out your best and set a beautiful table. Read more

“Smart” Dinner Party Planning


Everyone loves the idea of a charming and elegant dinner party.  We love to look at photographs of tables set in anticipation of beautifully dressed guests and imagine all the witty conversation that might take place and dream about the delicious food to be served.  The desire to host, or be a part of, one of these parties is strong for most of us…the problem comes, not in the dreaming about such an event, but in the execution of this kind of a party.
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Sewing Essentials


When your Two Chums were growing up, part of being a “young lady” was having a basic knowledge of how to use a needle and thread.  Most of us of that day, know, very well, how to make a basic nightgown, how to follow a basic pattern, how to thread a needle and then use it to fix a loose hem or sew on a button.

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Cashmere Care


I know, I, for one, love cashmere in the winter.  There is something very cozy and comforting about cashmere and oh my goodness, a cashmere sweater keeps you very warm on a chilly day.

What we commonly call “cashmere”, is a fiber obtained from Cashmere and other types of goats.  Cashmere is fine in texture, and strong, light, and soft. Read more

Savvy Secrets – Tension Used In Great Ways!

Oh my goodness, we did not know there were so many ways to use a tension rod and are so happy to share these with you!

Following, you will find ten ways to use tension in a grand way! Read more

All Wrapped Up


Years ago Jackie and I had a shop called Chums.  You may have noticed on 0ur current logo for Two Chums that it says Est. 1987.   That is when we first opened our business.   We always said it was “a little shop where you could find all you need for giving”.
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Baby Shower? Let’s Have A Theme


We have been talking about hosting a baby shower this week and have chatted about the importance of creating a theme.  When you have a theme, you have great direction as your theme tends to “drive” the preparation process. Read more

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