Poised for Success by Jacqueline Whitmore

25 Mar

The Hip Hostess Apron Giveaway

Expresso Swirl Sheath Apron

The Internet is an amazing networking tool. Several months ago, I found The Hip Hostess on Twitter and started following the dynamic mother-daughter duo. Their beautiful, colorful handmade aprons made me perk up and take notice. I immediately went to their website to learn more about them and I fell in love with their products.

Everyone who knows me knows that I love to cook and I especially love doing it in style! After all, who doesn’t love wearing couture in the kitchen?! Whether you make it, bake it, or fake it, these aprons look attractive and I’m never embarrassed to open my front door and greet guests wearing one. Besides, I receive lots of compliments!

THE HIP HOSTESS GIVEAWAY:

My friends at The Hip Hostess have agreed to graciously donate an apron to one of my blog readers. Their website offers all different styles in fun, whimsical colors. And the best part…they’re all machine washable!

With Easter being right around the corner, be sure to order yours. Or better yet…take part in my Hip Hostess Apron Giveaway! Here’s how to enter: Just drop a note in the comments section below by Thursday, March 31, 2011 by 11:59pm EST and tell me which apron you’d like to win and why. One lucky reader will be chosen at random and announced late next week.

But here’s the best part, everyone is a winner for this giveaway as The Hip Hostess is offering 25% off all of their aprons when you use Promo Code SPRING25 at checkout if you order by March 31, 2011.

Good luck! And a great big virtual hug to the ladies at The Hip Hostess!

March 25, 2011 | Filed Under Giveaway | 32 Comments 

Etiquette & Image Consultants Retreat – March 2011

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even wonderful women from all over the world traveled to Palm Beach to join me for my Etiquette & Image Consultants Retreat on March 11-12. Here are some highlights of the weekend.

Enjoying lunch in the beautiful Florida sunshine.


A sunset beach walk...an ending to a perfect day!


An elegant celebration dinner at The Breakers Palm Beach.


One of our exceptionally talented servers at The Breakers.


Connie from Savannah, GA is served a tasty treat!


One happy group!

March 24, 2011 | Filed Under Retreat | Leave a Comment 

Writing a Book Is Easy…When You’re Organized

If you’ve ever wondered how a book takes shape, step into my storage closet. I’m always in search of interesting etiquette articles and when I find them, I generally file them away in this handy dandy mailbox storage unit (which I keep in my storage closet).

I find some of my articles on the Internet and I find others at my gym. That’s right…the gym! Just before I step on the treadmill or the elliptical machine, I thumb through the magazine racks for varied publications, from food to business to lifestyle to fashion. If I stumble upon an interesting article or quote, I’ll tear it out of the magazine and keep it for future reference. (I apologize if this offends anyone.) When I get home, I write the subject, date, and source at the top of the article and file it in one of the slots in this storage unit.

Each slot of my filing unit is dedicated to a chapter in my new book, Poised for Success (St. Martin’s Press, November 2011). Whenever I’m ready to write a new chapter, I pull all the articles out of their slot, organize them, highlight any interesting tidbits, statistics or quotes, and then type the information into a file on my computer. This becomes the framework of my chapter.

If I need more material, I scan the Internet and read books or periodicals related to the subject matter I’m researching. Before I know it, I have enough information to complete a chapter (or two). I’ve learned that writing a book is much easier when you stay organized and tackle it one file at a time!

Share your tips!

How do you structure your files? If you have an effective filing system for your articles, please share your ideas in the comments section. If you file your articles electronically, what program do you use? Let’s help each other improve!

March 23, 2011 | Filed Under Book writing, Book Writing | 1 Comment 

Five Reasons Calling Cards Are Making a Comeback

You don’t have to be part of the social élite to have your own calling card. This old-fashioned social networking tool is making a comeback and here are my top five reasons why you should have one:

1. They can be more fun, stylish, artistic and elegant than a traditional business card.
2. They come in bright colors and designs that seem anything but stodgy.
3. They make an impression without saying a word.
4. They’re a great tool to showcase your personality or hobby.
5. They’re perfect for:

• Playdate-seeking parents
• Playdate-seeking singles
• Retirees who love to network
• Itinerant job seeking professionals
• College students
• Creative expressive types and more!

March 8, 2011 | Filed Under Business Cards | 3 Comments 

Business Cards Are Serious Business

March 7, 2011 | Filed Under Business Card Etiquette, Business Cards, Uncategorized | 2 Comments 

My Manuscript is Finished!

Great news! I finished my manuscript, POISED FOR SUCCESS, on February 28! Just in case you’ve ever wondered what a manuscript looks like before it’s transformed into a book, here’s what mine looks like (four sections, 20 chapters, 47,000 words).  Now it will go through an extensive editing process at St. Martin’s Press before it gets published in November 2011.

March 6, 2011 | Filed Under Book writing | 10 Comments