Just Another Posh Weekend!

It's just been too hot to blog y'all! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!! I know a lot of y'all are savoring those last bits of summer sunshine...but not me. I'm dreaming of pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin loot all over my front porch, spice scented candles, sweaters, tights, corduroy skirts, and all things Autumn!

So, what have I been up to??? Lord have mercy, I had company AGAIN! My Yankee friend Denny was headed back up North to his homeland and stopped in to spend the night. We have known each other...well, a very long time and I always like visiting with him. Friday night we went for a tres casual dinner at Olive Garden. I know some of you might turn your nose up at the OG...but, I love it! Pasta, bread, salad, wine, cappuccino, and a delicious dessert...what's not to like?!

I must tell y'all about a new dessert they offer at the OG...Piccoli Dolci "little dessert treats', layered with cake, mousse, pastry creams, and berries. LOVE these! They are only $2.50 each. Yes ma'am, I like a deal!

"HERE'S WHAT I WORE" The skirt is the precious 'Croc Monsieur' pattern by Lilly and the lime green cardigan is also by Lilly. I wore a white blouse with a Peter Pan collar, and my monogram on the collar...in pink. Love this cute blouse from Land's End. I wore my pink mules by Lilly and carried my Nantucket pocketbook. I wore my pearl necklace and pearl stud earrings and of course my rollring wedding band by Cartier. My ponytail was adorned with a pink grosgrain ribbon bow and my fragrance of choice was 'Wink' by Lilly.

Miss Coco was happy as usual to see her uncle Denny and of course wanted to look her best..."HERE'S WHAT MISS COCO WORE" Her bandanna is the same pattern as her mama's skirt...'Croc Monsieur' by Lilly. Her little collar and leash were custom made in the same Lilly pattern. Her top knot was adorned with a pink and green ribbon bow. Now, I'd love to be able to tell y'all about a fabulous event I attended on Saturday...but, the truth is that I worked out at the gym, cleaned the front porch from top to bottom, and worked in the garden. Posh huh? I'm sure y'all think I'm a boring blogger lately, but I've been doing a lot of organizing and maintenance around the house. My goodness, I'm Spring Cleaning and it's late August!!!

Today, I went to church and "HERE'S WHAT I WORE" The boring beige shift (I don't wear this color much, 'cuz I feel so boring-looking in it) is the same style as the dress I wore to church last week and it also came from Appleseed's years ago.

I think the darling Gucci ballet flats and the Gucci pouchette pocketbook really make the shift a little cuter, don't y'all? I wore my gold monogrammed choker necklace and matching earrings along with my rollring wedding band by Cartier. My ponytail was adorned with a boring beige grosgrain ribbon bow. My fragrance of choice was Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel.
After church...lunch at Panera Bread. It has rained all day long y'all, so cream of chicken & rice soup, caesar salad, and warm bread hit the spot!!! I did a little shopping at Joann Fabrics, cruised Dillard's to check out the fall Lilly loot (of which there were maybe three dresses), then it was back to the gym for moi (hey, I'm 5k training y'all)!

Some comfort food at my dining room away from home...Panera Bread!

Organizer. Fuss Pot. Perfectionist. OCD Person. Stickler for Details. Yes, I am one of those people you may have met before...my house has to be clean and neat, as does my car, the garage, and the yard. I am a neat freak!!! Yes, I am. Sometimes important things don't get done 'cuz I'm organizing and straightening up stuff like a crazy person. I've been that way my whole life. I am almost done with my current round or organizing and cleaning around the house...with the exception of the messy garage--which is next on my to-do list. So, I hope to be back to a regular blogging schedule this week!

Thank you so much for visiting with me today. Have a wonderful week y'all!

Busy Girl

Shame on me!!! I've been so busy during this past week, I have not had the time to post on my blog. Just dropping in to say hey y'all! Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend. I'll get myself together and be back on Sunday with a post.

Chin Chin!!!

Miss Janice's Weekend

Whew! I'm relaxing this morning after a busy weekend! Before I let y'all in on my goings-on, I first want to give you an update on my good friend Jan Taylor. If you are a long-time reader of my blog, you might remember that Jan was diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer this past January. Many prayers have been lifted up for Jan and her family. I'm happy to report that Jan is now in complete remission!!!!! If you live in the Tampa area, you may have heard Jan celebrating on Friday night...doing a very happy dance. I said a special prayer of thanks to God yesterday at church for this blessing and hope that y'all will join me and continue to pray for Jan! All I can say is "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"

Yes, I've had a very busy and productive weekend. I kicked off my weekend a little late on Friday, due to the fact that I stayed up the previous night watching Big Brother After Dark until 3 A.M. Whoa! I'm beyond the years of staying up that late y'all, but I get so into that show and the lives of all the houseguests!!! So Friday, I ran errands, shopped at HomeGoods and picked up some cute Halloween stuff, and then had lunch at The Cracker Barrel. (picked up some cute Christmas stuff at The Cracker Barrel--yep, they have Christmas loot out now!)

"Here's What I Wore" The pink gingham skort (with precious white ric-rac trim) is by Lilly as is the pink tee shirt. I wore my white Lilly mules and carried a white Bermuda Bag pocketbook. I wore my pearl necklace, pearl stud earrings, and my 'Oyster Perpetual' Rolex watch. My ponytail was adorned with a white grosgrain ribbon bow and I used my white iPhone cover with the pink monogram decal.

That same day, Miss Coco took a car trip to the drive-thru at Wachovia. Since she always likes to look her best ('cuz people do talk), she wore a pink bandanna with ric-rac trim...just like the trim on mama's skirt and monogrammed, of course! This is another darling bandanna customized for Coco by LWhelanDesigns. Coco's top knot is adorned with a pink and green ribbon bow.

Saturday, I organized my office closet and all my gifting supplies. That took all day!!! I finished the day with a great workout at the gym and spent a fun-filled Saturday evening ironing! Oh, the life I lead.

Sunday, I was up early and off to church. "Here's What I Wore" The lime green linen shift is perfect for church (I bought this from Appleseed's years ago). I wore my black ballet flats, which are adorned with pearls...I love these shoes! They are by Cochni. I carried my black Chanel '2.55' pocketbook with the silver hardware and wore my pearl necklace and pearl stud earrings. My ponytail was adorned with a black and white gingham ribbon bow. My iPhone cover (my iPhone was of course in the manners mode during church) was black with a white monogram decal. My perfume of choice was 'Coco Mademoiselle', by Chanel and my lipstick was 'Laser Pink', by Chanel. After church I lunched at The Cracker Barrel--again, and did some more Christmas shopping!

My Bookclub group went on the road Sunday afternoon...to see Eat, Pray, Love! "Here's What I Wore" If you have been following my blog for awhile, you must know that I love these coveralls by Lilly in the 'Chilean Avenue' pattern. I wore a pink Ralph Lauren oxford shirt underneath...'cuz it's always so cold in theatres. Since summer is quickly coming to an end, I wanted to wear my pink and green monogrammed Bonnano sandals and carry my pink Lilly Bermuda Bag, monogrammed in white. I wore my light green Lilly cap and a pink grosgrain ribbon bow adorned my ponytail.

I must tell you that I did not LOVE Eat, Pray, Love. I thought it was incredibly boring! That's just my opinion. :-( I did enjoy my must-have buttered popcorn and diet coke!!!

Now, Miss Coco didn't get to go to the theatre, but she did get to go the park for walk and to be seen. "Here's What She Wore" Her bandanna is the 'Chilean Avenue' Lilly print...just like mama's coveralls. She is wearing a pink collar and her leash is of course pink. Her topknot is adorned with a pink barrette. Trust me y'all...she loves to get dressed up!!!

I came home after the movie for just a bit, then headed out the door again for our Bookclub meeting (well, cocktail social hour is more like it!) "Here's What I Wore" The 'Nantucket Patch' Krista dress is by Lilly and I just love it for summertime. I wore my white summer Land's End cardigan as a sweater throw and wore my white Jack Rogers Sandals.

All the girls in the Flamingo Ladies Bookclub have personalized goblets...so, of course I took mine. The hostess with the mostest, Stacey, had a great spread of hors d' oeuvres, wine offerings, and a "Signature Beverage" of Blackberry Wine & Champagne.

I carried a flamingo-theme treat as a hostess gift for Stacey. I found this cute little pink flamingo dish at HomeGoods, I think...

Filled it with Key Lime Straws (which I had tons of 'em left from last week's dinner party)...

Wrapped it in cello, tied it up with a lime green polka dot ribbon, and attached a pink flamingo decal! Mama always says, "Don't show up at someone's door empty-handed!"

So now, I must get busy and answer some e-mails. Thank you so much for visiting with me today and I hope you have a wonderful week!!!

SUMMER SUPPER ON THE PORCH

This past Sunday evening I hosted a very casual "Summer Supper on the Porch" at here at The Roost. Since summer will soon come to an end, I used coastal dinnerware and accoutrements for the theme..."Down by the Sea." Actually, we experienced torrential downpours throughout the day, so that helped to keep the temperature down a bit!

My "Signature Beverage"...Lime Floats. These were very simple to prepare--stir limeade concentrate, vanilla ice cream, and club soda in a pitcher. Absolutely delicious and refreshing on a hot summer evening!

Seafood dip (from Publix Greenwise) and Carr's crackers...

Lime floats...served in my finest Coastal Crystal--garnished with a lime slice and the de rigueur umbrella straw!

Coastal cocktail napkins...

The table was set using coastal themed tableware...

The centerpiece...purchased last summer at SteinMart last summer.

The placesetting...the placemats and napkins were purchased last summer from Bed Bath and Beyond. The darling fish-y place card holders and the andriodike chair napkin rings were purchased at a little store in Naples, Florida last summer. (Sorry y'all, I cannot remember the name.) Of course, the place cards also have a coastal theme and I hot-glued small shells onto the white flatware. The coastal themed melamine plates and tumblers were purchased at HomeGoods last summer.

I just love the adnriodike chairs as the napkins rings...

These placecards are perfect for the setting...

Tropical iced tea was served...I love this flavor of tea--it's the same tea they serve at The Cheesecake Factory.

A healthy and delicious meal of grilled cajun tilapia, grilled squash & brussel sprouts, and a mixed green salad...

Followed by a decadent dessert...Key Lime Pie!!!

Get your party favors y'all!!! These Key Lime Straws were the perfect take-home gift for my guests visiting from Broward County.

Miss Coco was happy as usual to get dressed up and receive guests! "Here's What She Wore." Her little white scarf (custom-made by LWhelanDesigns) was trimmed in a blue Lilly-fied fabric and blue poms. Of course, it's monogrammed just for her. Her top knot was adorned with a light blue ribbon.

I kept it very casual for the evening..."Here's What I Wore." The khaki skirt is from Tar-jay, and the white monogrammed tee shirt is from Periwinkle in Delray Beach, Florida. The light blue cardigan is by Lilly as are the light blue thong sandals. I'm also wearing a light blue and yellow striped ribbon belt from CK Bradley.

The must-have monogrammed tee shirts are available online at Periwinkle of Delray Beach, Florida.

Thank you for visiting with me today. I must say that I have been a very bad blogging friend lately. I'm super behind with everything!!! I apologize for not getting out to visit y'all and hope that I get caught up...one day!!!

USING KIND WORDS IN AN UNKIND WORLD!

It's an unkind world out there ya'll!!! Not everyone practices civility. People cut in line in front of me at the grocery store. People bump into me in public places and say nothing. Gift recipients don't bother to say thank you for a gift. Lord have mercy!

These are some magical words that we should all use to show respect and politness to others:

I raised by my parents to use kind words...to say "Yes Ma'am/No Ma'am and Yes Sir/No Sir" as a sign of respect to those who were older than me. Southerners use these polite phrases when speaking to adults...of any age. It is not considered as an attitude of servitude...it is a form of respect! Actually, if a Southern child answers an adult with just "Yes," that's considered rude! I always say "Yes sir" to the young bag boy at Publix...he deserves my respect just as much as the Manager of Publix!!!

"Excuse Me" should be used when poliltely...
~Interrupting someone
~Telling someone you are leaving
~Getting someone's attention
~Asking someone to move so that you can get past them

Saying "I'm Sorry" is a polite way of expressing sadness and sympathy or apologizing when you have done something wrong.

"May I?" is a polite way to ask permission..."May I take your coat? May I carry your groceries to your car? May I speak with Miss Janice?"

"Please" is a magical word and should be used all the time. When you make a request from someone and add the word "Please," you are showing respect and consideration for another person.

"Thank you" is a word that should be used by all of us...everyday of our lives! "Thank you" is a word that shows respect and appreciation for an act of kindness...from someone opening the door for you to buying you a meal.

"You're Welcome"...is an appropriate way of responding to a 'thank you.' It's a word that we sometimes forget to use and should be used instead of a response like "No problem!"

Southern parents teach their children to use kinds words at a young age. They know that little gestures of kindness go a long way in showing politness and respect to others.

"The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid."
Source Unknown

Mlle Coco Channel Goes Shopping!

Miss Coco likes to look her best even when going to the pet store to buy puppy food. "Here's What She Wore." I found her little dress on Ebay...don't y'all love it?!!!
Coco wanted to stop and browse the section with the new Martha Stewart pet products at Petsmart. Here are some of the high-fallutin' grooming supplies in Martha's signature colors...

Toys for pampered poochies...

3-in-1 feeding bowls, which are great to use while traveling...I kinda like these.

Martha's pet bath...Miss Coco doesn't need this 'cuz she goes to the beauty shop!

Martha puppy towels and bathrobes--love the product, but these are not Miss Coco's fav colors.

Coco kept asking me, "Why isn't any of this stuff monogrammed, and where's the Kate Spade...where's the Lilly???"

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

BLOGGER/COMPUTER ISSUES

Y'all I'm experiencing some technical difficulties with my computer/blog. These difficulties have caused me to have one hissy fit after another all week!

Lord have mercy, I do not NEED technical difficulties in my world! And, just for the record, I also do not need a BMW with windows that all of a sudden fall down and then don't roll up...during the rainy season--how tacky is that?!!!

I do hope that y'all are having a stress-free week! There's no reason we all have to be running around like crazy people, trying to get stuff fixed!!!

I hope to have this stress gone real soon!!!

WHAT'S UP WITH YOUR BLOG NAME ???

Have you ever thought about some of your favorite bloggers and how they came up with their blog name? Some bloggers have chosen the perfect name for their niche and some, well, I have to wonder "How did you come up with that name?"

Blog branding is important if you want to attract a targeted audience to your blog...

~Is your blog name memorable? Etiquette with Miss Janice is probably a difficult name to remember after seeing it only once. Is is unique? Definitely more unique than, say "Southern Etiquette".

~Can people spell it? I'm always surprised at the different ways people spell the word "etiquette." And, just for the record, it's not pronounced "eda-kwit"!


~What image does your blog name convey? When you see my blog name, you probably think about a little old lady who teaches etiquette...that's just fine with me!

Lately, I've been thinking about my own blog name. Hmmmmm, Etiquette with Miss Janice...the name of my etiquette business. Years ago, when I decided to open my business I thought a lot about what I would call it. For some people, it's really hard to come up with a name for a business; for me, it was easy! After I chose my business name, I was told by a high-fallutin' marketing executive that "Etiquette with Miss Janice just sounds too old-fashioned...sounds like a little old lady teaching etiquette." Yes sir, I replied, that's exactly what I want to be...a little old lady teaching etiquette!" (That name is really a perfect fit for me. All of my marketing tools are branded with the Southern magnolia and all of my programs are taught keeping the old-fashion Southern traditions in mind.)

"Easy now, you have to be careful" I was told my BFF Teresa Jane. She reminded me of the name of one my long time fav stores in Evans, Georgia called "A Little Bit 'A Country." Years ago, the store sold all the popular country items people were buying back then (now y'all don't act like you didn't buy the mauve wooden hearts, cows, houses, et cetera!). Today, they still have that Country name, but not so much Country inside. Confusing to the public!

So back to moi! My business name is Etiquette with Miss Janice and my business website name is Miss Janice. If you visit my website, you'll see that's it all Southern and prissy! At the present time, I have no etiquette programs scheduled because I'm just not interested in teaching right now. That doesn't mean that tomorrow, I will decide to schedule ten programs. I'm very lucky that I have the knowledge to teach something very valuable to the public and fortunate enough that I can teach whenever I want.

So, when I started my blog, I wanted to use the name "Miss Janice" But nooooooo, some other Janice out there had that name already. So, I chose the name "Etiquette with Miss Janice" and when I first started blogging, I blogged about etiquette ALL the time. Thinking that my readers might be tiring of reading about etiquette all the time, I added posts about my love of entertaining. Then after awhile, I started talking about my other love...shopping! Now, imagine the confusion when my new readers click onto my site recently and see posts about my beloved Yorkie, Mlle Coco Chanel!!! They are probably thinking, "What on earth does this dog have to do with etiquette?"

The tagline on blog has always been "Social Graces...Southern Style". I love to share my knowledge of etiquette, my upbringing in Southern hospitality, my love of entertaining, my obsessive shopping habit & "What I'm Wearing", and of course "What Miss Coco is Wearing."

To further confuse y'all, if you follow me on Twitter, SocialGraces101, I tweet about anything and everything!

In closing, I want to say that I hope you are not confused when you visit my site--'cuz recently a reader inquired as to why I'm talking about my dog on an etiquette blog??? Ouch--Miss Coco's feelings were hurt! ('Cuz she was looking tres chic in that post!)

I'm interested in hearing how YOU came up with the name for your blog. Are you still comfortable with that name? If you could, would you rename your blog?

ROSEBRIAR DINING IN THE COUNTRY

I would like to introduce y'all to a friend of mine. Her name is Debbie Sisk and she's the owner of Rosebriar Dining, in Eads, Tennessee...just east of Memphis. I first met Debbie when I lived in DeSoto County Mississippi through another friend who called me and asked "Would you like to go to lunch out in Eads with a group of ladies?" I asked "Where is Eads and what restaurant are we going to?" It was then that I learned about Debbie Sisk...She caters afternoon teas, luncheons, and dinner parties in her home. After my first visit, I was a true fan of Rosebriar Dining.

Debbie Sisk is the epitome of a Southern lady; she loves her family and home and she loves to entertain and shop! She has been serving guests in her home for over 16 years and does no advertising--just word of mouth from one Southern lady to another!

Debbie Sisk...owner, chef, and hostess of Rosebriar Dining.
Rosebriar...an "old" Southern planter's cottage...
Come on in y'all!

Here's my friend Miss Kara and another friend Michele. They recently enjoyed afternoon tea with Debbie. They are inside the darlin' powder room!
There is always a fresh floral bouquet in the foyer...

Miss Debbie has the most proper parlor ever! In an age before we all had the de rigueur iPhone in our hand, guests were received in the parlor. The proper parlor speaks volumes about you and your family! While I don't have a parlor in my casual Florida cottage, I most certainly had a real cute parlor in my Mississippi home.

Careful attention has been paid to details in Debbie's Southern genteel parlor...Her parlor evokes romanticism and charm and is reminiscent of the late nineteenth century...The lighting fixture...The fireplace with a patterned fire screen, which is functional as well as decorative...The distinct feminine frills..

Elegant fabrics on the settee and ottoman and tapestry pillows...
The formal dining room at Rosebriar...Debbie prepares the most fabulous gourmet meals and serves guests at this fab dining room table, which comfortably seats about 16 people. Luncheons, teas, and dinners are served here with fine linens, china, and silver.
Another awesome piece...in the dining room!

The precious "Overflow Table" ...when the amount of guests being served is over 16!
Miss Kara sent me these two photos and wanted y'all to see Miss Debbie's new re-silvered tilting pot. How stunning is this silver piece y'all?!!!

The awesome tilting pot--up close...I want one! I can't believe I don't already have one!!!

Oh how I loved teaching dining and social etiquette at Miss Debbie's!!!

I set up my place settings and accoutrements on tables in her fabulous family room...
During my etiquette program, Debbie prepared the fabulous food. Then the dining tutorial was enjoyed by the ladies.

If you are ever in the Memphis area, you simply must contact Debbie Sisk and make a reservation for lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner. Her menus are customized to your tastes and preferences from a large selection of her personal recipes. Everything is homemade, prepared just for you.

You can visit Debbie at her website here. Or contact her by telephone at 901.867.7532 to reserve your place setting!