LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN. So says the carol. These thoughts are much on our mind this Holiday season. As we speak, our President & charming First Lady went to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.  Even he, the recipient, demurred a bit & spoke of “the world that ought to be.”  He addressed the paradox of accepting the award for PEACE while escalating a war & acknowledging the acceptance of an award he did not yet deserve.  From there he’s off to Copenhagen to talk of climate change-hopefully not the impossible dream. Speaking of possibility, just because we have frugal fatigue doesn’t mean we aren’t going to celebrate the holiday season. Here are some charming ideas:

• To remember the world-Mini globes from Crate & Barrel ($6-7)
• To remember the planet- Let’s get rid of plastic water bottles and buy this wonderful red flask from kioskkiosk.com ($15) Tie on a green ribbon & you can even save gift wrapping.
• To hope for peace-A silvery peace-sign ornament ($11.99 for six)
• To remember others in need-At skip1.org, choose one thing to “skip” a day and donate that money (like for a Starbucks latte) to provide food and water worldwide through the Children’s Health Fund.
• To remember that a homemade gift sometimes has the most meaning- bake up some cookies, put them in a box or tin and wrap it with a bow. Check out my recipe here.

Here’s to dreaming of a peaceful Christmas and Hanukah. If you’re really stuck for gift ideas, check out my charms at deannalittellscharmschool.com

Deanna

P.S.  CHARM SCHOOL READING ASSIGNMENT

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl-to remind us about being nice (Santa will know).

Too Big To Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin-to remind us that we are...(too big to fail).

The Little Prince-by Antoine de Saint-Exupery to remind us to look at life through a child’s eyes. They are often wiser than adults.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Let’s Thank Our Lucky Stars *

It’s November already & we’re looking towards the annual holiday season. First, Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims were thankful that they had survived their first winter in the New World & had enough food, thanks to the Indians.

We can thank our lucky stars that we seem to have survived the blackest hole & can see some ray of light on the other side.

It’s hard to be charming when watching every penny. In times past , people managed to do charming things to help during bad times. In the 1943 musical film Thank Your Lucky Stars, starring Humphrey Bogart & Bette Davis, among many others, which was made a a WWll fundraiser, all the box office proceeds went to the war effort & participants were paid $50,000 which they donated back. More than $2,000,000 was raised.

Wish we could do such charming things today to help the homeless, the jobless & those who just have less.

• We can, of course dress up in our most charming apron & help serve Thanksgiving dinner at your local church or synagogue.
• We can donate a mini amount to a food charity to help. Just $30 will buy 5 Thanksgiving meals to homebound New Yorkers at www.citymeals.org.  And $35 to www.actionagainsthunger.org will support 30 days of treatment for a severely malnourished child in Africa.
• And we can “Wish Upon a Star” that things will be better tomorrow!

Here’s the wish-”Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight, Wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight”!

To better wish, you can buy your own star at www.starregistry.com

Or have a look at my “Lucky Star” charm with little diamonds for real sparkle.

Happy Thanksgiving and see you soon. In the meantime stop by my website at deannalittellscharmschool.com

Deanna

P.S. Charm School Reading Assignment

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak- maybe it offers a clue about coping with our current crisis

Ayn Rand and the World She Made by Anne C. Heller -another possible commentary on the $ debacle

The Queen Mother by William Shawcross -Learn about the Queen Mother you never imagined.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

LA RENTRÉE -AN ODE TO ALL THINGS FRENCH IN NEW YORK

I’ve just come back from Paris and everything is buzzing with upbeat charm. No recession worries here-we need the latest fashion-mostly all black, slightly punk, leggings and leather.

La Rentrée translates into back-to-school. You see how much more charming everything is in French. So charming-all those little children in little loden jackets with their wheeling schoolbags and chic mothers. Sadly gone are those old fashioned brown leather briefcases worn on shoulder straps that my sons had.

The most charming excuse of the week-Victoria Beckham missed her childrens’ first day of school in favor of Fashion Week. “Mommy’s going to NY to do a test,” she told WWD. “You have math tests, mommy has a fashion test.”

For MY rentrée I decided to see how many things I could come up with in NY to prolong my Parisian experience. First we found Merci-a concept store from Paris that has partnered her with the Gap. Starting Sept 10th for one month only, Gap is importing Merci to Fifth Ave with everything from an aluminum spoon to a vintage jeweled pin (Merci/Gap – 680 Fifth Ave. at 54th St, 212.977.7023).

Famous Parisian Steakhouse, called Le Relais de Venise L’ Entrecote, has opened a NY outpost-but they don’t do ketchup. The waitresses look like French parlor maids in a forties revue. The menu unchanged since 1959 consists of salad, l’ entrecote (rib-eye steak) and frites with the house “secret sauce.” Prix-fix $24 -OO LA LA (French for OMG).

Or you could take a free trip to Paris via the photographs of Jacques Henri Lartigue at the Howard Greenberg gallery. So Francais- grab dinner at Le Bonne Soupe to complete the Paris effect.

Speaking of food-they’re always doing that in Paris-check out the Le Fooding D’Amour Sept 25th and 26th at P.S. 1.

More speaking about food-tired of restaurants? Be inspired to do it yourself-go see Julie & Julia and learn about Julia Child, the woman who brought French cooking to American shores. Amy Adams is charming but Meryl Streep is brilliant. Go get her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, at Kitchen Arts & Letters-the cookbook emporium (contact them at letters@kitchenartsandletters.com).

And if YOU want to go back-to-school, try La Maison Francaise at nyu.edu for a wonderful fall lineup of French culture, including films, and talks about politics, literature, and food (what else?).

Dust off those pumps & have a good “rentrée.” See you soon. In the meantime stop by my website at deannalittellscharmschool.com

P.S. Charm School Reading
The Wilder Shores of Love by Leslie Blanche-soooo French
Queen of Fashion-What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FLY ME TO THE MOON

Today is the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing.  Everyone is discussing this historic event & honoring the Apollo 11 astronauts, Buzz Aldren, Neil Armstrong & Michael Collins.  My prize for the best tribute is the Louis Vuitton ad with the tagline: “Some journeys change mankind forever.”

I however would like to talk about the CHARM of the moon & how historically it has been a romantic symbol. It has been used in miriade phrases that speak of love as well as song & film titles. Let’s explore…

OVER THE MOON: meaning “I’m mad about the boy”,  ”Head-over-heels in love”.

MOONSTRUCK: an expression meaning dazed, deranged or distracted with romantic sentiment (from the belief that moonlight causes insanity). See the movie of same name.

MAN IN THE MOON: by the Man in the Moon we mean the illustrious personage whose shining countenance may be beheld at night beaming good naturedly down on the earth. In the language of a lyric bard “The moon is out tonight, my love, meet me with a smile.”

MOON SHADOW: the long & sometimes eery shadow cast by the full moon on a clear night. Cat Stevens wrote a song of the same name on the album, Teaser and the Firecat.

MOONSTONE: a mineral valued as a gem for it’s pearly translucence. I have a charm, with a man-in-the-moon face carved in moonstone. It’s a charming thing.

WOMAN ON THE MOON: Fashion in the sixties was just as fascinated with space as NASA. Women’s Wear Daily documents this beautifully in today’s issue- Audrey Hepburn in Courréges in “How to Steal A Million” (1965).

Man has forever been fascinated by the moon. What’s next, MARS?

See you soon-I hope sooner than once in a blue moon.

In the meantime stop by my website,

www.deannalittellscharmschool.com

-Deanna

P.S.  This week I discovered at the Mermaid Inn that there is a moonstone oyster!

P.P.S. Charm School Summer Reading:

Some MOON related books: The Moon & Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham

The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck

There will be a quiz in the fall!

 

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

THE LIPSTICK INDEX

As the famous truism goes: When the economy dives, lipstick sales soar. The phenomenon known as the “lipstick effect” dates back to the Great Depression-we can pass on a handbag or shoes, but can manage the price of a lipstick. Leonard Lauder coined the term, “the lipstick index” after 9/11 and right now this truism seems truer than ever.

Guerlain’s Rouge G de Guerlain ($45)- a lipstick in a weighty, silver compact that includes a compact mirror. Take it out of your handbag and it’s a 20 minute conversation. It’s been a hit!

Leave it to the French to invent the first indelible lipstick-Rouge Baiser (Kissing Red). It was released in 1927 with a gorgeous ad by the artist, René Gruau, which is still running today, proving that this iconic item has stood the test of time.

Filming is due to start this fall on a Man Ray biopic starring the French actress, Emma de Caunes as Kiki de Montparnasse and Giovanni Ribisi as Man Ray. We all remember his famous lipstick painting, ”In the Hour of the Observatory-The Lovers,” but did you know that the lips were Lee Miller’s?

And my favorite lipstick quote from the beautiful Carole Lombard, leading lady of the 30’s, “I live by a man’s code, designed to fit a man’s world, yet at the same time I never forget that a woman’s first job is to choose the right shade of lipstick.” This quintessential madcap beauty dared to be wacky while glamorous. Check her out in My Man Godfrey, 1936.

See you soon, and in the meantime, stop by my website, www.deannalittellscharmschool.com

Deanna

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Spring at last!

And not a moment too soon. Today is Earth Day & everyone needs to take a walk in the park, feel Spring & see those beautiful blossoms on every tree.

So many things that Spring brings to mind-

Spring Fever is my favorite. Such a charming expression. It always reminds me of how I cut school one afternoon with my girlfriends to see Audrey Hepburn in, “Love In The Afternoon.” We were in love with her! After the film we went to Central Park & lay on the grass, looking at the sky & talking about life. Now, there’s a new book out called “What Would Audrey Do?” We probably could have written the book.

The French have an even more charming name for Spring Fever. They call it “L’Ivresse du Printemps”-drunk on Spring. While we’re busy being drunk or having our head in the clouds, let’s not forget some of the real meanings of Spring:

A new beginning, rebirth, blossoming, a new start.

We should all start off the new season with a good Spring Cleaning. It’s time to do it. We’ve been talking about it since the New Year. If you don’t have someone to pitch in, ask an out-of-work friend to help for a small fee. Make a plan: get a shredder,give the clothing rejects to a thrift shop try some “earth friendly” products for the windows. It feels great when you’re done. You can see those blossoming trees out the windows & have lots of room in your closet to start over. Spring Sales have started already-a sign of the times..but be disciplined. We should all learn to do with less.

For me the most charming flower that says spring is the Daffodil. Try a straight-sided glass vase packed with them. All the stems should be cut the same length and tie them with a bit of raffia or ribbon. Or if you’re all thumbs instead of a green thumb order them from www.michaelgeorgecustomfloral.com.

Ciao for now & don’t forget to recycle,

Deanna

And in the meantime, check out my website @ www.deannalittellscharmschool.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

YES, WE CAN-CAN

I’m recently back from Paris and despite the sub-zero weather, it was indeed Gai Paree. The Ready-to-Wear collections were in full-swing and quite a few designers said, “Recession be damned!” Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, quoted in WWD, said, ” Yes, there’s a crisis, but one can carry on and contribute to beauty and gorgeousness.” And that he did with lots of French charm, flirtatiousness and pretend decadence-lace, corsets and poof.

Speaking of lace, it seemed as if during the collections in Paris, every attendee wore black lace hose with a high-heel bootie- “sexy” never being far from a French women’s mind. Bill Cunningham’s column in NYT (3/22)  entitled, Stems, described the difference between NY with women stomping around in heavy winter boots and Paris, with the dazzling leg factor-”seduction in full play.”

During the shows in the NYC, in a sort of Sex-and-the-City moment, Ashley Dupré showed up at the Yigal Azrouel show. Azrouel said, “I’m shocked” and fired his publicist, Kelly Cutrone for allowing America’s most notorious ex-call girl to sit in the front row.  One year later and she’s moved on to a singing career but America hasn’t. In Paris, they’d be calling HER publicist.

France, after all, is the country that brought you Catherine Deneuve in Belle du Jour. This 60’s film is about a bored bourgeois wife who works in a bordello in the afternoon (remember those charming Charles Jourdan shoes with the buckles?). This year there’s a new movie called, Cliente with Natalie Baye, about a 50-ish woman who pays a call boy for sex when her marriage breaks apart.

Only the French could have a literary blog called, Maitresse, which writes about all things literary and sexy. In France, brainy doesn’t mean you can’t wear stilettos. Watching the lights sparkle on the Eiffel Tower on my last night is probably the most charming and inspirational site in the world–gives you the feeling that things will be fine.

A la prochain-

Deanna

In the meantime, remember to check out my website, deannalittellscharmschool.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

LOVE IN THE TIME OF TEXTING:

Send To Him

Well I’m going to say it: there’s nothing charming about receiving a Valentine via text message. It’s not only bad when men text with horrible abbreviations such as “C U L8R” , it’s painful & cavemanesque. The only way he can get away with it is not in a text message, but if he buys you one of my  ”rebus” charms that says “I Am 4 U” in 14k gold.

Or texting would also be permitted if he took as much pains with the thought as if he had written a handwritten note. Try a Sonnet: “HOW DO I LOVE THEE, LET ME COUNT THE WAYS…” Google, “Elizabeth Barrett Browning” for assistance.

If you can’t sing, find “My Funny Valentine” on iTunes & send it by e-mail to your Lady-Love.

Candy Hearts-iPhone helps you create your own digital Valentine’s candy. Personalize the color, background & message & send it via e-mail.

Now For Her

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Film Forum has all my favorite romance movies. “It Happened One night”, “My Man Godfrey” or that other Frank Capra lovely, “Mr. Deeds Goes To Town.” The series is entitled “Breadlines & Champagne,” in honor of our new-found “poverty.” For a “Cheap Date”, pick up 2 tickets & send them to your mate in a lovely RED & gold card from “The Gold Line” (heart stamps at the post office-42 cents). Plenty of popcorn at the concession stand instead of dinner & the rest of the evening is free. Don’t forget to always be properly dressed-Alexander Wang limited edition condoms at: www.properattirecondoms.com proceeds go to Planned Parenthood.

If you’re already hitched, consider “THE THIN MAN” series, Dashel Hammet’s high comedy detective series with William Powell & Myrna Loy-love fueled by dry martinis. You could rent, “The Thin Man” (# 1), cook up an appropriate meal (elegant) & shake up some dry martinis in you new “vintage” cocktail shaker, courtesy of Housing Works. This will teach you how to keep the marriage flame burning forever.

See you next month when I’m back from MY Valentine’s Day in Paris! Let me know how my ideas worked out.

In the meantime, check out my web-site at: www.deannalittellscharmschool.com

Deanna

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Remember when I told you that one of the things I would do is help you find PRINCE CHARMING ? Well, I think we have found our collective PRINCE CHARMING. From the moment they danced to “At Last”, sung by Beyoncé, looking so soignée, the mood was set. His statement as he took to the dance floor at the People’s Ball “How good looking is my wife? said it all. Not only was he the best looking “date” we’ve had in a long time, but Charming to boot. Not afraid to express his feelings for his lady-love on international T.V., but he’s going to fix it all too. The planet swooned! The savior is here!

Michelle has excited the fashion world with her charming choices & we are all thrilled to have such a young & fashionable first family. Two adorable “first children” & two Harvard grads.

We will find back in style words like GLAMOUR, CHARISMA,DEBONAIR & CHARMING – and imagine, we will be using them to describe  our new  President  & his lady. They will be setting an example to the whole country. It  will now be “cool” to dress well, be smart, have good manners, be sophisticated & be glamorous. He will be faced with an almost daunting task, & hundreds of constituancies  screaming me,me,me & feeling the pressure of millions of Americans,if not the world, but we feel confident that “Nodrama Obama” is at the controls.

See you next week with some Valentine’s Day  thoughts.

In the meantime check out my website at: www.deannalittellscharmschool.com

Deanna

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

As we begin the New Year 2009 we must remain hopeful that Humpty Dumpty will right himself. Here are 10 things we can do for ourselves to feel better from the start.

1. Be charming: honey does get you further than vinegar. 

2.Wear your jewelry: even though the papers say it may be in bad taste-don’t let them get you down-go for it, even with your jeans. It will lift your mood &  keep it polished.

3. Be a Hostess with the Mostest: give dinner parties, even if your apartment is small and even if you have to do “take-in.” It’s convivial, it’s simpler than coordinating a group to go out, & your friends will be charmed.

4. Volunteer: find a cause that interests you & give a little time & a little cheer. It’s free, you will be helping others & it will get you out of yourself for a few hours.

5. Be smart: if you have more to give than yourself, make sure you practice “Smart Philanthropy.” To have a greater social impact from your giving, get the book recommended by Bill Gates: Money Well Spent, published by Bloomberg Press.

6. Be Smart II: get a tiny “Smart” car-now available in the U.S. Two can fit in the parking space of one American car. You’ll reduce your footprint. Great for city shopping (bring along your own shopping bag), and if you insist on designer looks, there’s a 10th anniversary edition by Hermes in the house’s signature orange with a leather covered steering wheel.

7. Write notes: In this world of e-mails your thoughtfulness will be remembered. Get some engraved note cards -4 1/4 x 6 3/8- & have them ready. If you can’t afford to have them engraved, you can “Do It Yourself” on your computer. Crane & Co sells the cards, & envelopes & templates are on the website.

8. Read more: Support your local bookstore. The N.Y. Times & The Wall Street Journal have already done their lists of books to come. We’ll be sorry if there are no more independent bookstores. Be old-fashioned, curl up in a comfortable chair with a good book & a cup of tea (or Smart Water).

9. Shop in your closet: If you haven’t yet done it, clean out your closets. You’ll be surprised what you’ll find to wear there & all the rest can go to your local thrift shop for a donation. Think of all the money you’ll save on shopping & a tax deduction to boot.

10. Be charming: Smile on the street, say thank you more often & say hello to your neighbors. You’ll be surprised at how many might become friends. Look at Holly Golightly. Warmth & Charm should be your bywords for 2009.

All my best wishes, & remember to check out my website, www.deannalittellscharmschool.com.

Deanna

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

A gift can be many things;  but in difficult times a gift can be anything- something you have made, something you no longer need, or something that expresses the perfect thing for the recipient. The thought is what gives the gift it’s charm. Look inside yourself & try to put yourself in the other’s shoes. You will know what to give. The most beautiful Christmas story ever-”The Gift of the Magi” by O.Henry, truly embodies the spirit of giving.  As my Christmas gift, I leave you with the book’s closing paragraph.

   ” The Magi, as you know, were wise men-wonderfully wise men-who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger.  They invented the art of giving Christmas presents.  Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication.  And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.  But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.  Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the Magi”

A lovely facsimile edition in navy blue with silver imprint & beautiful lithograph illustrations, would make a slight but charming  gift. It’s available at: THE CORNER BOOKSTORE, Madison Ave & 93rd St. tel:212.631.3554. I urge you to patronize your small local bookstores before they are gone!  

See you after Christmas. All my best wishes, & check out my website for some charming gifts, www.deannalittellscharmschool.com.

Deanna

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

As promised last week some Do-It-Yourself  Holiday gift ideas:

MAKE EVERYONE A STAR:

Equipment

A star cookie cutter

Red cord or narrow ribbon

A small tube of green writing icing (supermarket)

One batch of “Jane’s Cut-Out Cookies”  (Recipe as follows)

• 2 3/4 cups flour      
• 2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt            
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar            
• 2 eggs-well beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening. Mix sugar,eggs,etc…(all other stuff). Add to shortening. Chill, roll out to medium thin, cut out stars. Arrange on baking sheet, make hole in one point of each star with a pointed utensil. Put in preheated oven 325-350,12-15 minutes.

Let cool on cookie sheet, insert red ribbon in hole & tie knot or bow long enough to hang on tree. Write names with icing. Use as place cards at your holiday dinner.  Everyone will be charmed!

THRILL THE KIDS:

Let them wake up to an old fashioned gingerbread house. Get this kit while no-one’s looking & just have on your most charming smile when you tell them Santa did it.

 Now, for the grown-ups on your list-

DEANNA’S FAVORITE FLAVORED VODKAS:

• Save some nice clear white wine bottles & locate some corks to fit  (maybe even decorative corks at your local gift shop).
• Buy several bottles of ordinary vodka
• Remove the labels on the wine bottles and make your own new ones, or write on the bottles with a Sharpie.

FLAVORINGS YOU CAN ADD (1 per bottle):

• Pepper corns
• A coil of lemon zest cut with a bar tool(zester)
• A coil of orange peel
• Anise seed

After a week the vodka will absolutely have a decided flavor. Tie name labels on the neck & hand out to all your best friends.

And for your most special star, how about giving the gift of a real one from the International Star Registry.

Hopefully these suggestions will get you through the big day on a reasonable budget, but for more help, call Santa’s Workshop!

See you soon and don’t forget to check out my website in the meantime, www.deannalittellscharmschool.com!

-Deanna

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

How to ad charm to this holiday season? Worrying is not the way to go. Make your list & see who’s been naughty or nice.  See how you can be Santa without breaking what’s left of the banks. The most charming thing ever written about Santa was the famous answer to the letter to the editor of the New York Sun, written by an 8 year old girl named Virginia. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And since we’re going to have Christmas despite the recession, here’s some charming gift ideas-

This season men’s wear inspired pajamas are everywhere and would make a charming joint gift. Couples could split one pair (good for the budget) a la Clark Cable and Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night -she gets the top, he gets  the bottom.

And to remind us of the charm of giving, here’s Albert adorned with my Christmas charm bracelet- you can find out more about charms in the book, “The Charm of Charms,” written by Ki Hackney and Jade Albert (Albert’s mistress and photographer).  Don’t miss the opening spread where my personal charm bracelet is featured in this beautiful chronicle of people and their charm bracelets.

See you next week with my suggestions for foodie-related gifts!

In the meantime, don’t forget to check my website, www.deannalittellscharmschool.com!

-Deanna

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Friends,

Here as promised are more “charming” ideas for Christmas gifts. This time for the foodies. Food gifts are great if you’re economy-minded. They can be thoughtfully chosen to compliment the recipient’s taste, make a splash, & fit your budget at the same. Skip the caviar this year as Sean Driscoll of Glorious Foods said in Quotation of the Day (N.Y. Times Nov.1,’08), “Everyone is very conscious of the fact that while Rome is burning, we shouldn’t be having a good time. Nobody’s ordering caviar as a first course.”  The poor dear, hope his business survives all the cancelled corporate holiday parties.

A really unique food gift which is as dazzling for the price as it is for the taste, is the famous Vacherin Mont d’Or. A truly seasonal cheese made in the Swiss moutains and only available in winter, it is a spectacular treat that you break open and eat w/ a spoon directly from it’s spruce-wood container. Some dried fruit and nuts make it even better. You can find it at Murray’s Cheese Shop.

For rememberances of Christmas past, a lovely gift is a package of Madeleines de Commercy, these seashell-shaped cakes date back to 1755 and were Marcel Proust’s inspiration for his life’s work.  They are best dipped in Christmas tea by Mariage Freres.

If all this thriftyness is getting to you and there is one big splurge on your horizon, how about a “golden apple,” a napa-leather, apple-shaped metallic python print clutch bag for winter, by designer Alice Temperley. Only 25 pieces were produced and are carried in her stores for the retail price of $995.  The design is named for the golden apple in the Greek myth, “The Judgment of Paris” in which the godesses, Hera, Athena and Aphrodite all vied for the prize of the golden apple addressed to “the fairest.”

See you next week with some DIY holiday gifts!  In the meantime, don’t forget to check my website- deannalittellscharmschool.com

-Deanna

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Today I shall discuss modern manners. They appear to be disappearing–this is not charming. In a restaurant the fork goes on the left & the knife on the right, not the cellphone.  Use of such gadgets has become rampant-fishing them out of handbags at lunch is insulting, not charming. On the bus we don’t want to hear, “Now this is totally confidential…” This not only seems like a breakdown of manners, but a total breakdown of barriers between what is private & what is public. We can each try to hold back the tide of self absorption-not knowing there’s a whole world out there. Let’s try to be more charming, more courteous & more attentive to those around us.

If you’re not sure of the rules, go to the Mistress of American Manners, “Emily Post on Etiquette.”  An impressive woman, Ms. Post picked up the pieces after a humiliating divorce and became the arbiter of manners for generations to come. Her fascinating life is recounted in a new book by Laura Claridge, “Emily Post-Daughter of the Gilded Age.” Sometimes we wish she was around today. 

For a more modern version, we have “Mr. Manners,” Clinton Kelly. His new book, “Freakin’ Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate and Generally Be Better Than Everyone Else” will give you the modern rules of the game.

See you next week and don’t forget to check my website in the meantime! 

deannalittellscharmschool.com

Letter from the Editor

Dear Reader,

If I’m going to tell you about all things Charm, I’d better start with some definitions.

Charm can be a verb or a noun. As for the nouns, Charm can be a spell as in ancient times -see Harry Potter to learn Charms. A Charm can be lucky, as in amulets, touch pieces & things worn on one’s person to ward off the evil spirits, enhance fertility or bring love. Charm is a number of socially desirable traits such as courtesy,wit & sexiness. Charms, had their first heyday after WW11 when soldiers came home from abroad with souvenir charms of all the places they’d visited. The ladies loved them and attached them to bracelets,forever after know as charm bracelets.

As for the verb, to Charm-to please, to attract, to fascinate,to seduce, to bewitch-women throughout the ages have been trying to figure that one out. I shall try to be of help.

Thank you for reading,

Deanna

Please visit www.deannalittellscharmschool.com to see my custom-made charm bracelets.