A Little Style Can Go a Long Way

I just returned from Phoenix where I spoke at the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) Conference. I’ve never seen so many well-dressed women and men in one place! It was refreshing.

Have we become a nation of slobs? These days, anything goes. Enjoy this CBS Sunday Morning video. Do you think “proper dressing” should be taught in schools? I’d love to read your comments below.

Prom Etiquette

Proms are not just for teenagers. Brian and I recently attended the 2013 Pooch Prom with our pups, Abigail and Cooper, at Downtown at the Gardens last weekend. Dogs and their owners were dressed to the nines to raise awareness for the Drug Abuse Treatment Association (DATA).

Various contests were held throughout the evening and Abigail was voted “Most Spirited” and “Smartest Dog” by a panel of celebrity judges. She was also selected as a finalist for Pooch Prom Queen!

If you’re going to a human prom this year, don’t forget your manners. This is an opportune time to show your generous supply of intelligence, charm, personality and feelings for others. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Restaurant Etiquette

Traditionally, the person who does the asking does the paying. In other words, if a guy asks a girl to prom, he may be expected to pay for the entire meal unless the couple agrees on other arrangements, and vice versa. If you go with a group of people, the time to ask the server for separate checks is when you place your order.

Guys: In social situations, pull the chair out for your date.

It’s best not to carry a cell phone into the restaurant. If you can’t live without it for a few hours, avoid the temptation to text or make a call. Put your date first.

Don’t talk with your mouth full. This is a good way to lose points.

Be kind to your server and address him by name. I promise, you’ll get better service. Leave an 18-20 percent tip.

Carry some breath mints and pop them into your mouth after dinner so you have fresh breath for the rest of the evening. Avoid chewing gum.

Flowers
A girl will generally wear a corsage, either pinned to her dress or worn on the wrist, and a guy will wear a boutonniere pinned to his lapel.

Guys: If you want to impress your date’s mother, bring her a small bouquet of flowers.

Limousines
Check with the limo company to see if the gratuity is included in the fee. If not, it’s common practice to give the driver a 20 percent tip at the end of the evening.

Common Courtesies
It may sound old fashioned but it’s good manners to hold the door open for a young lady or give her your jacket when she’s cold.

Be sure to introduce your date to your friends and include him or her in the conversation.

When you’re at the prom, stick with your date. Alienating your date for an extended period of time is a big no-no.

Dancing
Just do it. You don’t go to the prom to just socialize and eat. If you don’t think you’re a great dancer, dance anyway and dance like nobody watching. Life’s too short to sit around and wait for someone to ask you to dance.

If you go solo or with a group, it’s perfectly okay for a girl to ask a guy to dance. If someone other than your date asks you to dance, it’s polite to check with your date before accepting.

Show Your Gratitude
Show your gratitude by writing your date a thank-you note the next day. This will leave a positive lasting impression.

What tips can you add to this list? I’d love to hear from you!

The Woes of Potty Training

I’ve been a little stressed lately. Several weeks ago my husband and I got a new puppy. Her name is Abigail and we’re trying to potty train her. Since she’s still young (18 weeks old), we take her outside every two or three hours.

Sometimes she likes to potty on a small patch of grass in the front yard. Other times she likes to go on the bricks in the back yard. But her favorite place to go potty is on my expensive area rug in the living room.

Abigail is not my first puppy so this is not my first potty training rodeo. But the perfectionist in me thinks that I can housebreak her in five days or less. Perhaps I’ve been reading too many articles on the Internet.

The practical side of me, however, knows that potty training takes time and patience. But I don’t always listen to the practical side. This was evident recently when I had an ugly meltdown.

The other evening, just before bedtime, Brian and I took Abigail and our other pup, Cooper, for a final potty break in the back yard. It was drizzling rain. As usual, Cooper quickly did his business and Brian took him inside and went to bed.

Abigail, on the other hand, just stood there. I told her to go pee-pee but she just looked at me with her sweet soulful eyes as if I was crazy and then turned around and walked back to the door.

I picked her up again and put her on the bricks and told her to go pee. She looked at me and pranced back up the stairs and stood at the back door while I stood in the cold rain with my arms crossed.

I picked her up a third time and put her back on the bricks. She did an about-face and marched back to the door. I finally gave up and we went inside the house.

As soon as I closed the door she dashed into the living room and squatted on the area rug.

“Noooooooo!” It was too late.  Read More…

Bountiful Easter Azaleas

Azaleas always remind me of Easter. My mother might not have had a green thumb but she knew how to grow azaleas. Hundreds of hot pink buds would burst with beauty every Easter. Whenever the azaleas would make their debut, I knew that winter was over and spring was finally here.

After working on her feet for eight or nine hours every day at the beauty salon, Mom didn’t have the time or patience for gardening. And if she did plant anything, it would have to thrive on neglect. So the azaleas were the only real flowers we had. Unfortunately, they were hidden in our backyard, up against the house.

Mom preferred artificial flowers because they were cheaper, lasted longer, and required no maintenance. Every Easter, she would go to Wal-Mart and buy several plastic bouquets of white lilies and yellow daffodils and stick them in big round pots on our front porch for all our neighbors to see.

It’s a pity no one every knew we had such exquisite azaleas.

What flower or plant reminds you of Easter? I’d love to hear from you.

The Panhandler

He didn’t look at me as he walked past my red Mercedes Benz. That day he had probably walked past hundreds of cars stopped at the red light at the corner of 10th Avenue North, just off I-95.

He was wearing a dirty t-shirt, faded blue jeans and tattered sneakers. I can’t remember exactly what was written on the small cardboard sign he held in his hands but I do remember seeing the words, “75 cents, God bless you,” scribbled with a black marker.

It was a warm day in March as I sat in my cool, air-conditioned car, listening to music, waiting for the light to change. I had just attended a charity luncheon at the Kravis Center and was dressed in one of my finest business suits.

I could see the panhandler through my Gucci sunglasses in my rear-view mirror. He looked tired.

In the past when I saw someone like this I would think to myself:

He might take my money and buy drugs or alcohol. I don’t want to support his habit.

Why isn’t he working? He doesn’t look disabled. I’ll just perpetuate the problem and he’ll never get a real job.

But on this day, I had another thought. This is someone’s son, father or brother.

He reminded me of my brother.

I took three quarters out of my console, blew my horn, and held my arm out the window. He swiftly turned around and came running to my car.

When he approached, I gently placed the money in his thick calloused hand. Appreciation radiated from his sunburned face. I wanted to hold his hand, but I didn’t.

“My brother’s homeless,” I said as I took a sharp breath and held back the tears.

“I hope not for long,” he said with a warm smile. I smiled back.

At that moment the light turned green, I put my window back up, and drove away.

A Goose Bump Moment

This e-mail made my day. No, it made my entire month! I received it today from a friend who works for the Economic Development Council (EDC) in Haines City, Florida. My heart is still singing with joy and gratitude!

~~~~~~~

Hi Jacqueline:

I have to tell you what happened to me today.

A women came into the EDC today with a dream and determination. Her name is Denise. She and her husband are veterans trying to make ends meet. They live in Kissimmee, FL and have a small computer repair shop out on Highway 17-92 in Haines City. Denise wants to start an IT School here in Haines City so she came in to present her business plan to me.

Denise is well spoken and educated in business. Although, it was apparent she did not have the funds for proper business attire and unable to afford to have teeth put in where her two front ones were missing, her enthusiasm to make a difference was inviting enough for me to stop what I was doing and listen to her dream.

Small downtown business development is not what the EDC handles. We have a business liaison at the city that handles this form of economic development. However, within minutes, it became apparent to me that God was giving me a mission to do whatever I possibly can to help Denise make her dream come to fruition.

I have both of your books on a book stands on a table in my office. Denise spotted your books and knew exactly who you were. She expressed how she was a huge fan of yours and how lucky I was to have met you, and to have signed copies of your books. She has always wanted to attend your seminars and buy your books, however, her funds do not permit those luxuries at this time.

I told her that the next time you have a seminar in our area I would be happy to bring her. You would have thought I hung the moon with her overwhelming response. After she left, I checked my e-mails before heading to lunch, and there in my inbox was your invitation to the Publicity Boot Camp. Okay!! That was my goose bump moment.

May I purchase your books for Denise and will you autograph them? I know it would mean so much to her and I would really like to make that happen. Please advise when you get a chance.

Blessings,
Cyndi Jantomaso

Deputy Director of Economic Development
Haines City Economic Development Council
608 Ingraham Avenue, Suite 2
Haines City, FL 33844

The Well-Heeled Woman

When I think of Jimmy Choo, I think of Princess Diana. I’ve wanted a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes ever since I learned that he was her shoemaker many years ago.

Jimmy Choo shoes are worn by some of the most well-heeled women in the world and I never thought I would ever own a pair. Not only are they luxurious, they’re also very expensive. But my life changed last week when I walked into Nordstrom in Boca Raton, Florida to return a pair of dress shoes that didn’t fit properly.

While I was browsing around the shoe department, a pair of Jimmy Choos caught my eye. I’m sure the lighting in the store makes everything look good but I could swear that these shoes were glistening.

I said to the sales lady, “I’d like to try those shoes on…just for fun.” That was my first mistake. Once I slipped my feet into the supple, patent leather peep-toe pumps, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

“They’re so comfortable,” I said as I admired my feet in the mirror.
“Jimmy Choo is a girl’s best friend,” the sales lady said with a smile.

That’s all she had to say. The next thing I knew I was handing her my credit card.

Call it superficial if you like, but the reality is that shoes are one of the first things people notice when meeting you for the first time.

In my business etiquette seminars, I always encourage my participants to buy the best shoes they can afford because good-looking shoes can help you step up and stand out. In this case, I followed my own advice. These shoes really do make me stand a little taller (thanks to the 4” heel) and feel good about myself. Thanks, Jimmy Choo, for giving me that “boost” of confidence!

Postman Delivers Lessons In Happiness

Love this video of how one postman brings happiness to so many people. It just goes to show that being kind costs nothing, yet it pays big dividends. Is there someone in your hometown that spreads happiness and cheer to others?

The Dos and Don’ts of Texting Etiquette

By Jorie Scholnik

If you’re like me, you’ve witnessed a table full of friends eating together but text messaging someone else. And if you attend professional development workshops, you’ve probably noticed everyone sitting in silence texting on their phones before the speaker begins.

It seems like our society is obsessed with text messaging. It makes sense. It’s quick, easy and efficient. Being that I’m a millennial, I will confess that I fall into the phone-obsessed stereotype and text a lot. Maybe this just highlights the times we live in, but I actually don’t remember a month when my text messaging total was lower than my talking minutes total on my cell phone bill.

However, sending a text message may not be appropriate in every situation and certain rules may apply, particularly in the business arena. Here’s a list of my top text messaging dos and don’ts:

Recognize when it’s more appropriate to call, mail, or send an e-mail. For example, it’s best to send party invitations or wedding announcements through the mail, particularly for formal occasions. Saying thank you will come across more genuine and personal if done over the phone or in a handwritten note. If you need to ask someone for a favor try another channel of communication such as e-mail.

Stick to the 140-character limit. Text messages should be short and direct. Strings of messages that appear after each other can be overwhelming and time consuming for the recipient.

 Read More…

Shabby Apple Giveaway

It’s time to tweak your chic for the New Year! That’s why I’m partnering with Shabby Apple, a unique, vintage-inspired clothing and accessories company, to offer my readers a $75.00 gift card!

The contest begins Thursday, January 10, 2013 and ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, January 16, 2013.

Here’s how to enter. The first entry requires that you visit the Shabby Apple website, pick a favorite item, and leave a comment below telling me why you love it.

And if you’d like to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1. “Like” Shabby Apple on Facebook.
2. Leave a message on Twitter: I entered @etiquetteexpert’s #shabbyapplegiveaway to #win a $75 gift card: http://bit.ly/Wvo48T.
3. Post on the Shabby Apple blog about the giveaway.

Fine print: You may choose up to four favorite items but must leave a separate comment on my blog for each item (for a total of four possible entries). Contestants must have a USA shipping address to be eligible for entry.

A winner will be randomly selected and notified by e-mail. Good luck!

P.S. Don’t worry. Everyone is a winner. You can still save 20% off everything on the Shabby Apple website until January 31, 2013 with the code: NewYears.

Congratulations to the winner, Dawn Dubriel! And thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway!