The Online Finishing School for Ladies

Don't forget this blog continues at

2011-04-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

The On line Finishing School for Ladies II -- http://onlinefinishingschool2.blogspot.com

Join Us!!

Also check out Home Economics Year II -- http://pheyearii.blogspot.com

Dear Readers -- Check out the new Finishing School Blog.

2011-03-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Since I've received many requests for a continuation of our "virtual" online finishing school, I've created a new companion blog, Online Finishing School II Journey to Loveliness. I hope you'll join us at the new link!

2008-07-09T08:35:00.001-07:00

Eva Takes us on a Grand Tour

Welcome to my class of the Finishing school for Ladies. I was quite honoured when Elizabeth and Emma allowed me to be part of their finishing school project. A finishing school assumed that the basics of education and good manners were already in place. It was the task for the school however to give everything a nice sheen, a good bit of polish by adding elegant or practical accomplishments as well as a certain style.

It used to be a tradition for young men and women who could afford it to finish their education by going overseas to Europe and make a 'grand tour'. This way, they would see the picturesque places, some of the worlds wonders and get a 'continental sheen of refinement' that comes from having seen different things, and hopefully adapted the best of that to the new life they were about to begin as adults.

A wonderful description of how such a voyage could go can be found in Louise Alcott's "good wives" where Amy goes abroad to discover the old world. By design as well as necessity, a grand tour only showed some highlights of different countries, a subjective selection of what was best and beautiful.

In my 'grand tour' I will try to do the same. With only a few posts to outline Europe, clarify some subjects and introduce some interesting concepts, there is no choice but to be utterly and completely selective. My selections will of course be biased, based on what I know, what I have experienced myself and what I think would be worth while to mention.

But before we start our grand tour tomorrow, let us first stand still for a moment at the question what Europe actually is. I am always puzzled by advertisements that tell you that this or that purse is "European" style. I think from the American perspective it is almost inevitable to see the continent mostly as a counterbalance for America, one big country with different states, but still a whole. The line between identities in Europe is much stronger. Neither in Spain, nor in Belgium or Danmark will people identify themselves firstly as European (except perhaps three or four political activists). Their first identity will be to their country, with European as a big and vague, very loose binding of those nationalities. What Europe is, even the Europeans have not yet been able to define. And then I have not even mentioned the European Union, an umbrella government that is increasingly influencing decisions of national governments but that few people actually feel a bond with.

Europe is best described as a crazy quilt with many different fabrics and colours. The cultural, geographical, historical and organisational differences between countries can be mind boggling. Entire wars were fought in parts of Europe that did not affect others. Religions differ, as well as governmental organisations, monarchies as well as republics, countries with large agricultural populations and countries where less than one percent is involved in working the land.

If there is anything I would like you to remember from this introduction to the grand tour, it is that there is no "European Style". Spanish style is utterly different from Dutch style in both fashion and mentality.

A second thing I would like you to remember is never, ever, ever to believe any portrayal of Europe in a mainstream movie. I can not start to describe the smoke that came out of my eyes at watching the teenage movies: "the prince and me" in which they made a mockery of Denmark or "What a girl wants" in which they did the same with Great Brittain, not even to mention Batman returns in which two young women aparently decide to take too close an interest in a restaurants water feature. When the maitre d' informs Bruce Wayne that the fountain is not intended for swimming and that his companions are not wearing a bathing suit, he grins it off with a charming: "they are European" as if nude swimming in a restaurant fountain is as common there as bread for breakfast. I am well aware that those movies are not intended as educational material, but for people who rarely get the chance to travel, it leaves an impression which is hard to get rid of, of a continent that balances between pompous and hedonistic.

I hope that this 'grand tour' will leave you with a different impression of Europe, an incredibly diverse continent with great sides and less great sides and one that has a lot to offer in history, art, mentality, and daily life solutions.

Until tomorrow, there is no homework!

Be loved and blessed and till then!

Eva

2008-07-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Eva Takes us to Belgium:

When starting the Grand Tour in Belgium, I am doing something that makes sense in more ways than one, and still would not be very common for a Belgian to do. Belgians unfortunately take too little pride in their own country, chosing to focus on the negative and considering themselves too small to be of notice. This attitude however denies many of our guests the discovery of one of the pearls in Europe's crown.

If you were to fly to Brussels, capital of Belgium, you would actually see posters welcoming you in 'the heart of Europe', and Belgium is that in more ways than one. That is why starting here makes sense. Belgium is not just at the center of Europe, but also the place where the European government seats. Above that, it is a crossroad of many of the European cultures and styles and therefor can give guests a bit of a taste of everything.

So... welcome to Belgium, my homeland! Make yourself comfortable, because this might be a long post!

What is important to know about Belgium? I could of course surround you with facts here. There are so many for such a small country, because Belgium IS small. It is about the size of Maryland, and despite that fact it has more governments to steer this one country than the US has, not to mention the mount of actively participating political parties....

The reasons for that are historic and strongly related to what I said earlier: Belgium finds itsself at the crossroad of many European cultures. This is most reflected in the languages. Belgium has no less than three official languages: Dutch, French, and German, and groups of the different language communities do not always get along, not just because the language, but also because the different regions have developed historically different. Unfortunately, if I delved into Belgian politics, I would need at least ten blogposts for that topic alone. Instead, I will give you the basics:

Belgium is federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. Wow! That is a mouthful isn't it? What it means is that the Belgian government is elected by the people, based on the constitution. There is a monarchy, but the powers of the king are mainly symbolic. He is a unifying figure who must be above party politics, but does sign laws into power, though he does not have veto powers over those laws. The fact that Belgian, after consitutional reforms in the seventies is a federal state means that different parts of Belgium have autonomy of decision on certain terrains. The current King of Belgium is named Albert II. He followed after the death of his brother Boudewijn I and will be normally succeeded by his son Philip I.

Europe

But... you did not come to Belgium just to hear a lesson about politics. In fact, you don't even exactly know where Belgium is. This map will give you an idea. Belgium is the small, yellow triangular country across from England, and in between France, Germany, Luxembourgh and the Netherlands. Now... why would you come here for your Grand Tour, aside from the convenient location in the middle of more famous destinations? Three good reasons: art, history and food.

To the surprise of many, Belgium is a very young country. It actually is younger than the United States, having become independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and with the first King (Leopold I, imported from Germany) swearing the oath on the 21st of July in 1831. However, it is hard to find a richer history anywhere in Europe for the regions that have formed the current Belgium. Sometimes it is named the battlefield of Europe, and since Roman times, each conquering army has tried to get the rich regions under it's thumb. The current Belgium has belonged to Rome, fighting tribes, France, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany... and each of those conquerors have not only failed to keep it, but also have left behind a bit of their style, their culture, and their influence. You have probably heard of the battle of Waterloo against Napolean. The Siege of the Yser in the first world war, and the battle of Bastogne in the second. Less known are the medieval battle of the Golden Spurs, or the early seventeenth century Battle of Sluis.

If you wish to read more about the history of Belgium, I can recommend this page for a quick overview:
http://www.geographia.com/belgium/bxhis01.htm

JanBreydel

Coming to Belgium means being surounded by this ancient History. Belgians in general have a long memory, even if it is stuck under layers of daily life enjoyment. It is less openly celebrated than in many other countries and there certainly is less of a patriotic feeling, but if you look around you, you will see the plaques remembering the fallen, the statues from heroes of 1302.

It will also mean seeing the known art cities of Flanders: Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges. The beautiful capital of Brussels with it's City Hall build in 1402, and the houses of the guilds surounding the Grand Place square. Antwerp with the most beautiful Cathedral in the world, as those of Antwerp claim, (It has the less notable distinction of being the place where I married.)the house of Rubens, the river Schelde, the unique atmosphere of modern and medieval mingling. Ghent, with the beautiful bellfry, the clothhall and the cathedral and last but certainly not least Brughes, once called: the Venice of the North, with its tiny medieval streets were you can easily imagine the way life used to be.

Tourisme_Chateau_de_Modave

Belgium is more than Flanders. In Wallonia we find the three beautiful cities of Liege, Tournai and Namur with its famous citadel. Or what to think of the many castles, with the castle of Modave as one of my all time favourites both for it's looks as for the wonderful way they interior tells of it's history. You might be surprised by the connections with the famous French Palace of Versailles. It in itsself is worth a visit, not to speak of the surrounding countryside with the smallest city in the world Durbuy.

For more views of this beautiful castle, have a look at this page:
http://www.modave-castle.be/Anglais/Panoramas.html

This post has gone on so long, but there is so much to tell about this tiny country. What about the wonderful art that was created, some say, because of the beautiful light Belgium offers. World famous artists like Rubens, Van Dijck, Magritte have lived and worked here. There were Brussels famous tapestry ateliers. Adolphe Sax, who developed the saxophone was Belgian. The Art Deco architect Horta was Belgian, as was Herge, the author of the comic Tintin. What about the intricate lace for which Belgium is famous and that in some ateliers or homes still is handmade day by day, Antwerp diamond jewelry or the famous Belgian fashion designers.

And we haven't even talked about the food. Of course you know that Belgium is famous for it's chocolates, and perhaps you have heard about the beer. By now you will realise that Brussels sprouts come from Belgium, named after the region around the capital. Brussels andives are delicious and we can't even start on regional specialities like Brussels waffles, Liege waffles, smoked Ardennes ham, or the witte pens, a soft white sausage that is delicious to eat with apple sauce. If you want to try some of the Belgian cuisine, these are a few recipes that I can claim to be true regional specialities:

Waterzooi (a creamy chicken dish): http://www.recipezaar.com/209260
Konijn met pruimen (Rabit with prune sauce): http://www.recipezaar.com/200029
Wortelstoemp (carrot and potato mash): http://www.recipezaar.com/194447 (for a variation with leeks see: http://www.recipezaar.com/121428 )
Balletjes (Belgian meatballs): http://www.recipezaar.com/171761
Stoofvlees (Flemmish Carbonade): http://www.recipezaar.com/171179 or http://www.recipezaar.com/162776
Wafels (Brussels Waffles): http://www.recipezaar.com/170296
Croque madame (grilled cheese sandwich with egg): http://www.recipezaar.com/170294 (croque monsieur is the same, but without an egg, and croque hawaii adds a slice of pineaple with the ham and cheese)
Pannekoeken (Belgian Pancakes): http://www.recipezaar.com/153275
Witloof in de oven (chicory with cheese in the oven): http://www.recipezaar.com/143637
Mosselen (mussels); http://www.recipezaar.com/140097 (one of the easiest seafood recipes you'll find)
Rijstpap (riz au lait) http://www.recipezaar.com/133463 (a cheap and great desert)
Frieten (Belgian fries): http://www.recipezaar.com/41607 (these twice baked fries will be the best you ever tried. My mother taught me that you know when they are finished for the first time baking when they 'sing'. This is a nice step by step version with more details: http://www.belgianfries.com/index.cfm?Module=recept1

Look at this page for some photographs and more comments on some of the recipes:

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/2ce34/16f/2/?frdir=yes

And then there is the mentality of the Belgians, who do not take themselves too serious. Who are surrounded daily by history, from the biggest art cities, to the small parish churches that can date back more than a thousand years. Who have made an enjoyment of life into an art form in the small daily rituals. Belgians eat much more as one family at the dinner table. Most households have only one television, and people watch together, or don't watch. Going to the market on saturday for fresh vegetables, fruit and regional specialities is something that even urbanites apreciate and is just part of the fabric of daily life in the smaller villages. Small villages as well as big cities still have the specialised shops: butcher, baker, milk and cheese, where the products are much more varied than in any supermarket. And food is a serious matter. Of course you will encounter the local or international fast food restaurants, but they are never considered a place to actually have dinner. Going out to eat is done less frequently than it is in the US, but when it is done, it is taken seriously. A meal is supposed to take time, and no waiter worth his salt is going to just put the check on your table when you are finishing up. I remember a funny incident during my courtship when my now-husband and I sat waiting for a long time after dinner at a restaurant. After a while I asked if he didn't think it was time we would go. He agreed but said: "well, we haven't gotten the check yet." "of course not." I explained, "We have not asked for it yet." After all, putting the check on your table would be tantamount to telling you they want you to leave and that would be considered most rude in Belgium, where especially in restaurants and smaller shops, the service will show you that the customer is still king, a leasurely king at that, because the pace of life in general is much, much slower.

By now I have shown you some of Belgians history, some of it's art treasures, allowed you to virtually taste some of it's food, and allowed a tiny glimps into the Belgian lifestyle. It is time we conclude our trip to Belgium with a few final thoughts:

To Remember:

I would like you to remember the following things about Belgium:

- Belgium is about the size of Maryland and can be found in the center of Europe, across from England
- Though it has a king (Albert I), it is a parlimentary democracy, and has three official languages: Dutch, French and
German (although most people also speak a bit of English)
- Because they have been conquered by just about anyone, Belgians do not take themselves or their country too serious.
- Three famous Belgian artists are Rubens, Van Dyck and Magritte
- Belgian food is rich and delicious

Homework

Now... a homework assignment! I will give several assingments and let you pick one. Please let me know in a note if you have done one and what your thoughts were.

Practical assignment:

- Prepare one of the Belgian recipes for your family (the fries or croque madame are particularly easy, as are the stoemp or pannekoeken). Do not forget to eat it together as a family! You don't need the good china, but a nicely made table with a cheery cloth will definitely get you in the mood.

Research assignment:

- Do an internet search and read more about any one of the following topics (I know, I've given you a lot to read already):

Waterloo, Flanders, Battle of the golden spurs, Rubens, Van Dyck, Antwerpen, Ghent, Bruges, Ardennes, Bastogne, Ypres, Yser, Belgian monarchy, Belgian fashion, Antwerp Diamond or Belgian tapestry

Easy assignment:

- Mention three facts about Belgium to someone else in the next few days. And do not forget to tell me how they reacted to your new found wisdom! *W*

Well, that was finally it... until tomorrow when we visit France, I will leave you to your day! I hope you've enjoyed it and I will most definitely try to keep the next lesson a lot shorter! We have a saying in Dutch: "waar het hart van vol is, loopt de mond van over: (What fills the heart, spills out of the mouth)

May you have a wonderful day. I will leave you with a few last pictures of my wedding in Antwerp!

Eva

2008-07-09T08:29:00.001-07:00

Eva Takes us to France!

France is a bigger country, so I should have more to say, but of course, this is not my homecountry, so the emotional urge to just say everything is less. And of course Elizabeth has already done an entire week on France, teaching you so much, what is there left for me to say?

Still... France is a beautiful country, and one of the more known countries of Europe. Too bad it has such a bad reputation in the US. Maybe you have heard the joke: "How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris?" Answer: "Who knows? They have never tried." Jokes like that always make me want to leap to the defense of France by reminding people that France, especially Louis XVI delivered funds and troops to the American revolution, or that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French people. Of course I know it is more complex than that. But the instinctive dislike between the US and France is something that often bothers me because I love both. My husband claims the dislike is normal since both the US and France are very patriotic and therefor are always trying to best eachother. Too much alike. I am hoping that like Elizabeth, I can give you a little taste of France to make your mouth water and imagine your visit.

Europe

First, let us start with the map again. Where is France? France is easy to find since it is one of the bigger countries in Europe. If you see the pink English isle, you go down and find France in green. If you have very good eyes, you may even see the stip that is showing you Paris.
Now how did modern day France come into being? From Gaul tribes, Roman conquest, German tribes (the Franks, hence the name France) and finally a strong monarchy, it took a few centuries for France to took shape as a country instead of a bunch of small kingdoms. Still, it was formed much earlier than for example Belgium. Some people look at 498,(with the conversion of Clovis) as the 'forming date' of France, but most Historians chose the treaty of Verdun in 843 when Charlemaignes Empire was divided in East Francia, Middle Francia and Western Francia, with Western Francia being about the size of modern day France.

I would love to give you a complete history of France here, but if I even started doing that, I would need to write a book, not a post. A rather short birds eye overview of French history that will give you an introduction without making you spend two hours reading can be found in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France#Rome_to_revolution

The overview however does not go into the compicated relationship between the French and the English, from the eleventh and twelfth century on. The very short and long of it is that from then on, both English and French claimed, with various degrees of validity to have a right to eachothers throne or pieces of land.

Like a good guide, let me alert you to a freebie during this visit: You can download a free e-book with the short history of France here: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16910 (If you haven't heard from it, read up on project Gutennberg, it is one of the wonders of the internet!). Bear in mind that 'short' is a relative term and that the book goes well over 200 pages. I have not reviewed this book, so I can not attest to the quality, but usually the books in project Gutenberg at least do not have any weird theories in them.

At the moment, France is battling quite a few problems politically. They've had a lot of immigrants in the last hundred years, and have not dealt well with integrating them into society. Therefor racial tensions are high. The contrast between traditional living and modern ideas also has a high impact, as well as a history of labour policies that now are catching up with them. Add to that that French are hottempered, and you have a situation that can get quite tense. France is a semi presidential republic. Both the president and the prime minister are considered leaders of the government. Both are democratically elected.

So far for Frances history and politics, barely scratching the surface. Now let us move on to one of my favourite topics: French art. Whatever your ideas of the French, few will deny the greatness of their artists. From the anonymous or known Cathedral builders, to their world famous painters, or the writers that even today are being read. I wish we had the time to also go in to the topic of science, but alas we can simply not do everything. Let it just be said that France has produced some of the most innovative scientific minds throughout the century. Think of Pierre and Marie Curie, Louis Pasteur, Louis Braille...

But... we were going to French art instead. I wish I could take you on a tour through France in reality, so you could see the mighty cathedrals. There are few countries where you see so many of the different building styles still fully present. In the next series of pictures, I will give you a short overview of some of the most famous buildings in their style: Roman, Gothic, baroque, neoclassicims and art nouveau.

(well, aparently, a technical glitch in my blog does not allow me to download these pictures at this time. I will try again later in the series, for now, a google image search on any of these terms should give you magnificent results. Come looking back later, for the photos)

Aside from the architecture, there are of course the painters. Van Gogh, Monet, Coret, Gauguin, Van Loo, Renoir.... how can I show you all? How can I express the way the artists explored techniques and tried to capture a transcendent beauty on canvas. You probably have a favorite picture of each of these artists in front of your eyes before I speak. I would have loved to show you two of my favourites, but again, the evil blog does not let me.

Since we can not seem to add more visuals today, let's speak of writers. From Moliere to Hugo to Corneille, from the chanson de roland (of which the medieval author can never be ascerted with certainty), from Madame de Lafayette to Rousseau or the poetry writers Villon, Baudelaire, Rimbaud and other less known authors, each of them had a unique talent, and a way to use their words as a paintbrush, clothing their subject or unclothing it with a skill and drama that few others have ever managed. Each one is worth a read. How about this one by Paul Verlaine?

Autumn Song

Long sobbing winds,
The violins
of autumn drone.
Wounding my heart,
With languorous smart,
in monotone.

Choking and pale,
When on the gale
the hour sounds deep,
I call to mind
Dead years behind
and I weep.

And I, going,
Borne by blowing
winds and grief,
Flutter, here--there,
As on the air
the dying leaf.

How about that for one of those melancholy autumn days that come and go, when the most wonderful thing to do can be to stare out of the window at the floating leaves with a cup of tea in your hands? Or one of the most beautiful books for children ever written in French in my opinion: Le petit prince (the little prince). You will never regret having read this story: Http://korczak.com/Exupery/englisch/0.html if you do not know it already, and my favourite quote from it: "Here is my secret. It is very simple. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye."

We've looked at French history, French art, and there are two things I still wish to touch upon in our little tour that was derailed slightly by the frustrating malfunction of this blog regarding pictures all of a sudden: the French way of life and French cuisine.

The French way of life is something many Americans are deeply interested in and again there is a duality here between admiration and distrust. Elizabeth again has done a wonderful job in explaining many of the cultural differences in her posts on France: http://elizabeth-themerryrose.blogspot.com/2007/07/online-finishing-school-for-ladies-why.html#links

As you can imagine after my previous little chapter on art, beauty plays an enormous part in the daily French life, perhaps even more so than practicality. One of the reasons could be that France has been established as a country so early. While of course daily life still was hard working and difficult it did not need to be established like it did in a newer country like the US. Therefor changes came slower, and with slower changes came more time to perfect things, wether it was the inside of a house, the embroidery on a piece of linnen or the way a table was set or a meal taken. The pace of life in France is slower, and while they are certainly more hotheaded than the Belgians, in general they are people who prefer their daily life to go uninterrupted by conflicts and display a remarkable joy de vivre.

Even in France, you can see great cultural differences between the provinces of for example the provence, normandie and Bretagne. The climate difference makes for a different way of living. Bretagne being harsher and less... ornamented so to speak than the provence which bades in warm sunshine and normandie in between. Think of the way of life in Maryland and South Carolina, and you have a good idea of how different these lives can be. Paris, being a big metropolis, is a story in itsself. Even in France parisians have the reputation to be rude. You could say that Paris has the same reputation in France as New York had in the US before 9/11. I remember being warned by American friends when I went to NY about the rudeness and deceit I would encounter. (Incidentily, I had a wonderful few days and met great courteousness there, so things may have changed).

Despite those differences, you can say that the French have made joie de vivre (enjoying life) into an art form. If you have to be dressed, why not have something with a stylish drape? If you have to have a tablecloth, why not have something that pleases you whenever you look at it. The French chose to have less (and often MUCH less) but to select a better quality. Why should one buy or have something if it does not please the senses? That is why they dirve their little bycicles with a fresh baked baguette (they are baked fresh several times a day in good bakeries) and a bouquet of flowers. A French breakfast exists only of a few croissants, maybe a roll, and some jam and some coffee or chocolat. A far cry from the big English or American breakfasts, but the quality of each of the ingredients is tantamount, and there should be fresh flowers on the table with a nice cloth and some pleasing day to day china.

French women are smart in knowing that they can not do or have it all. There is no shame in going to a bakery to buy a small but intricate desert, so that you can spend your time on a wonderful and satisfying meal to come before. Entertaining does not mean 'going all out', but surounding yourself with friends that please you and pleasing those friends, in your words and presence as well as your food. No French hostess would ever spend her entire time in the kitchen. That would mean she would be failing in her job of pleasing and being plased.

And there we are at our last topic of the day: French Food. French food is again very diverse, it depends on the region and the cook how things turn out. I will here give the links to a few classics for you to try or to be inspired by. Some will be old familiars already, because the reputation for the French cuisine is worldwide known;

- French onion soup: http://www.recipezaar.com/175940
- French Toast: http://www.recipezaar.com/144216
- Madeleines http://www.recipezaar.com/22929 (these little cakes are absolutely delicious.)
- coq au vin: http://www.recipezaar.com/39815 (the sauce with this can inspire you to make a typically French hunting sauce that is also great with roast beef and other red meats)
- Crepes: http://www.recipezaar.com/124163
- Croissants; http://www.recipezaar.com/166227 (this recipe takes some work, but the results are sooo delicious)
- Consomme: http://www.recipezaar.com/172848
- http://www.recipezaar.com/179449 (typically French, healthy, and oh so delicious, make this a staple in your kitchen)
- Garlic soup http://www.recipezaar.com/8195 (great for autumn and winter)
- Cabbage soup: http://www.recipezaar.com/14602 (French peasant soup that is very flavourful and healthy)
- Roast lamb: http://www.recipezaar.com/22836 (I took this recipe, but really, come spring, every village has it's favourite way to do this)
- Frenche Apple pie (tarte tatin): http://www.recipezaar.com/240338 (really yummy)
- French Casserole: http://www.recipezaar.com/34857 (lots of beans in this recipe. Instead of Kielabassa, use any smoked sausage)
- Grand Marnier Souffle; http://www.recipezaar.com/233646 (delicate and delicious)
- Lavender pancakes http://www.recipezaar.com/247657 (this recipe is not a French classic, but the use of lavender IS, so I wanted to leave you with something special)
- chicken breasts, French style: http://www.recipezaar.com/214740 (boursin or other herb goat cheese is a staple in France. Try this one, truely worth it.
- Stuffed vegetables: http://www.recipezaar.com/228711 (a typical provencal dish. Great as a side dish with steak)
- Boeuf Bourguignon: http://www.recipezaar.com/167457 (a classic)
- French Fish soup (Bouillabaisse) http://www.recipezaar.com/190012
- gratined potatoes (dauphinois) http://www.recipezaar.com/104598

There... are you hungry now? For more French recipes just google French Food or French recipes at recipezaar.com. You will see that site appear more often here. With this unfortunately, we come to the end of our little tour. Despite my best intentions, it has again become rather long. Tomorrow, we will visit the Netherlands.

What would I like you to remember for today?

- Most historians consider 843 as starting point for France when Charlemaignes empire was divided.
- The French helped the Americans in the revolution against the Brittish.
- Three famous French painters are Monet, Degas and Renoir
- Three famous French writers are Victor Hugo, Moliere and the poet Verlaine.
- the French make joie de vivre (enjoyment of life) into a true art
- French cuisine is rich and delicious.

Homework:

Again, I will post several assignments, and you pick out your favourite>

Research assignment:

Do an internet search on any of the following:
Verdun, Charlemagne, Clovis, Charles V, Victor Hugo, Moliere, Verlaine, Rimbaud, Degas, Renoir, Van Loo, Provence, Normandie, eighty year war, hundred year war, French Resistance, Notre Dame de Paris, La Madeleine, Charles de Gaule...

Practical assignment:

- Make one of the dishes that you find in the recipe section for your family
- Think a few moments and try to set the table as atractive as possible, using lots of colour
- Invite someone over and give hospitality French style, center the evening around eating small but delicious food that you made in advance and talkt he night away

Easy assignment:

- Mention three facts you have learned about France to someone you know in the next week.

Don't forget to tell me your results!! I know it's a bit of a bother to be setting up to comment here, but I would love to hear if you have tried any of the assignments.

Be loved and blessed, and till tomorrow in the Netherlands,

Eva

2008-07-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

No Lady's education would be complete without taking a Grand Tour of Europe: Eva, who is from Belgium, is our travel Guide --

Goodafternoon everyone!

Today our Grand Tour finds us in the Netherlands. Now if ever there was a country that has a worse reputation than it deserves in the US, it is the Netherlands. I've studied for four and a half years at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and I can say from personal experience that it is an absolute lovely country.
There is much more to the Netherlands than windmills, wooden shoes and tulips, although those last are certainly spectacular and more than worthy of all the praise they get. The tulip fields in Keukenhof are a special treat, not just a tourist trap, and the Dutch themselves enjoy touring them.
But... we will not just focus on those lovely flowers, no matter if I could devote an entire post to them.

Welcome to the Netherlands!

Let me first adress a few of the points of the Netherlands that have given it such a bad reputation as an extremely 'liberal' country. I dislike that word immensely by the way, since it has become such a containerword, an insult devoid of meaning or a credo devoid of contents. Nobody knows exactly what is known by liberal. Still... when I hear about the Netherlands, all I hear is about prostitution, drugs, euthanasia, and other controversial subjects. I won't pretend these topics and what you have heard about them are all untrue. What is untrue though is that they are uncontroversial in the Netherlands, or that they portray the Netherlands as a whole.
Currently the Dutch (the inhabitants of the Netherlands) are actually going through something of an identity crisis. Tolerance has for years been the credo of the Dutch. This meant that you could be as liberal, but also as conservative as you want. I remember that, when I graduated, each of the students got a personalised speech by thier promoting professor. Mine talked, aside from my academic achievements about my personality, and about my faith and the way I had to make people look at another side of things.
Being an exception, either conservative or liberal, was not just tolerated but respected, as long as you were not obnoxious about it. This tolerance also led to an acceptance of immigrants and a great respect for their individual traditions and ways of life. But now they are finding out that some of those traditions and ways of life do not respect their tolerance, and it is creating tensions.

Europe

But... let us add a bit more factual information about the Netherlands. First of all... where are they? Well... you see the big green France, then the tiny yellow Belgian triangle, and right above that the beige Netherlands. At least, that is the European part of the Netherlands that we will focus on today. The Netherlands also have teritory overseas, namely Aruba and the Dutch Antilles. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Beatrix leading the country in a slightly more active fashion than the Belgian King, but still having to abide by the rules of a democraticly chosen government. Although Amsterdam is the most famous Dutch city (something that rival Rotterdam does not like to admit) the capital of the Netherlands is Den Haag (the Hague)

The Netherlands and Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium) have a closely interwoven history. Until the sixteenth century they were called the Northern Netherlands (the current Netherlands) and the Southern Netherlands. (Flanders), and they were considered one. Like Flanders, the Netherlands boasted cities of enormous economical influence in medieval times. The great merchant history of Europe took shape here, and though there was a strict competition between the cities there was no special division between the regions. That division started in the 15th and 16th century with the religious tensions that plagued Europe and the harsh wars between protestants and Catholics. Religion mostly was state regulated and it depended on the whim of the ruler how much freedom was given to the individual conscience.
In the current Netherlands, the protestant faith had enormous following and when in the sixteenth century Philips II of Spain tried to cut down the 'new faith' and instill uniform Catholicism in his realm, the northern provinces reared up and a fiercely fought war of independence raged for nearly a century, but in the seventeenth century Spain recognised the independence of the Dutch. Unfortunately in the religious tensions of the sixteenth and seventeenth century, a lot of magnificent artwork was lost in the iconoclast against religious imagery. In that same eventful seventeenth century the Dutch started the colonisation of Indonesia, and became in a few years a merchant world power. This of course led to wars with those other world powers: France and England.
Like the Southern Netherlands though, in the early 19th century Napoleon incorporated the Netherlands in his expansion wars, but as everyone knows his succes was shortlived and the kingdom of the Netherlands was quickly restored. For a short time, the current Belgium was added to the Netherlands, but the Dutch king had not learned much of the mistakes that Philips II made centuries ago. While he was much more civilised on it, he proclaimed several measures that curtailed the rights of Catholics and tried to stamp out the French language where it was native in his new teritory. This led to a revolt very shortly after and since then the two countries are separated and yet tightly linked through a same language.

For more on the history of the Netherlands, and other factual information, I would like to refer to this link:
http://www.thehollandring.com/toen-nu.shtml

Deltawerken_200x123

Another thing you will find more information on on that page are the famous Dutch waterworks. The Dutch and water have always been a special combination. They are famous sea farers since centuries and have lately made enormous contributions in the ecological cause for water winning and water preservation. No wonder that they know water so well, they have been battling it for ages. While they have been building dykes and winning land on the sea for centuries, the biggest projects however were started after the disasterous floodings of the year 1953 in which many lives were lost. Despite concerns about the environmental inpact of the project, it was started and completed. To give you an idea about how impressive this project is: one sluice gate weighs about as much as two Eiffel towers....

The Dutch are, in particular, a practical lot. They have, since medieval times, a merchant mentality. And, though they are more patriotic than the Belgians (but then just about everyone is) they can laugh with themselves. If you would like to read an excellent, quirky review of the Dutch comical and interesting habits, see if you can find the book: The Undutchables. A testimony of the fact that the Dutch do not take themselves too serious is that the books is enormously popular in the Netherlands. In fact, that is where I read it. They like to joke. There are very few taboo topics in the Netherlands, which is why it made such headlines recently, when a man was actually fined for insulting the queen to a police officer. Immediately journalists and other defenders of free speech started to jump into the breech and worrying about censorship. Still... it is harder for the Queen and her children to file private lawsuits to settle these things than it is for other citizens, so I wonder how this latest debate will be settled.

Although it has less of a reputation for it in the US, the Netherlands are a country of art lovers! There are few countries where creativity is so apreciated and stimulated as in the Netherlands. Crafts are especially popular, but from spinning and weaving to avant garde theatre, everything has a place and is given an intricate value. This should be no surprise as, with the riches of the developing trade, came a great wealth which was devoted to beautification of houses and buildings through the arts.

This has given a chance for such famous painters as Rembrandt, Vermeer, or later Mondriaan and illustrationists like the world famous Escher. Literature became very important later with writers like Vondel and Hooft. Writing was popular, even for those who were not or not yet writers, think of the world famous diary of Anne Frank. A special place should be made here to mention authors of childrens books. The Dutch have a marvelous tradition of childrens books which really should be translated in every language in the world. Annie M.G. Schmidt and her irreverent stories and rhymes being perhaps the most famous, but certainly such great writers as Thea Beckman, Evert Hartman and Jan Terlouw should not be forgotten.

The Dutch like their arts and their artists. They go to the theater often, either to see professionals or amateurs, there always is a wealth of new musicians and genres going from medieval ensembles to avant garde fusion music and everything in between. Few people look down on what is considered 'popular culture'. Beign highbrow is not really considered a virtue here. While people apreciate it if you have culture, they most definitely do not apreciate a snobish attitude. Their response to that would be: "doe maar gewoon, dat is al gek genoeg" or basically :"just act normal, that is crazy enough."

That last is typically Dutch. While they are fierce talkers and the victim of quite a bit of stereotyping from the Belgians (from loudmouthed braggards to notorious pinchpennies) they like living their life the way they chose to. Home, family and friends are very important to them. One of their highest compliments to a gathering can be that it is "zo gezellig", an expression that is hard to translate, but would probably best be aproached by 'so cozy'. To impress however hos difficult this word is to translate and how many connotations it can have, I invite you to check this link: http://lookwayup.com/lwu.exe/lwu/toEng?h=dictpage&s=d&w=gezellig&sLang=Nld

Impressive isn't it? How much can be conveyed by a single word? The Dutch however are amongst the champions of homey coziness, and they do it with simple means. Flowers, a cup of tea, a cookie, and a good chat. Hospitality for them need not be complicated. They don't like to show off, but have more a 'come as you are' attitude that would resonate well with the American hospitality.

Dutch food is more simple and could be considered a bit plain compared to the French or Belgian cuisine with its rich sauces, but when prepared well, it is both wholesome and tasty, and very much it's own style, and especially their pastry is SO good. Before I go to the recipes, I want to have a quick mention of what many consider a fun Dutch quirk in it's fast food tradition: the automaton. In small villages and large cities alike, you will easily find a snackbar and aside from it an automaton, with tiny doors where you can put in a coin and get an unhealthy but warm and delicious snack in return. However, let me see if I can not tempt your tastebuds with some other Dutch specialities:

Moorkoppen (Dutch pastry): http://www.recipezaar.com/639 (rich and delicious)
Boterkoek (buttercake): http://www.recipezaar.com/1580
Advocaat (eggnog) http://www.recipezaar.com/3002
Banket letters (Pastry letters) http://www.recipezaar.com/44628 (this IS timeconsuming, and most Dutch will just buy it at the bakery. It is a traditional food for Saint Nicholas day)
Dutch Baby (breakfast recipe): http://www.recipezaar.com/95485
Dutch Asparagus: http://www.recipezaar.com/171121 (This recipe is simple and delicious.)
Bitterballen (ragout snack) http://www.recipezaar.com/18460 (this ultimate dutch snack may be a bit of work to prepare, but it will be popular with everybody! The same filling can also be used for croquettes)
Oliebollen (Dutch Beignets) http://www.recipezaar.com/17162 (traditional at new years, but also at fairs. VERY good)
Preisoep (Dutch leek soup) http://www.recipezaar.com/171124 (savoury and great)
Snert (Dutch pea soup) http://www.recipezaar.com/34453
Bruine bonen soep (Brown bean soup): http://www.recipezaar.com/116182
Rode kool (red cabbage) http://www.recipezaar.com/37998 ( agreat favourite with children, though I remember my mom sometimes adding apples to the recipe)
Slavinken http://www.recipezaar.com/82746 (A different way to prepare ground beef)
Uitsmijter http://www.recipezaar.com/158213 (an easy grilled cheese snack)
Hutspot (mash) http://www.recipezaar.com/44572 (this is the ultimate winterfood! Especially with smoked sausage or ham)

Well, with the recipes... here we are at the end again. I hope you enjoyed our short visit to the Netherlands. As always, there is much more to tell... but not enough room.

What I want you to remember of todays visit:

- The Netherlands are not just a nation where everything is allowed.
- The Dutch were one of the greatest merchant nations of the world in the renaissance.
- The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, and the current queens name is Beatrix.
- The Dutch are specialist on water.
- The Dutch do not like a snobish atitude, they like life normal and simple.
- Three Famous Dutch painters are: Rembrandt, Vermeer and Mondriaan.
- The Dutch put a great value on tolerance.

So... with that, we go to our homework. Thank you Elizabeth, for handing in yours. *G* And don't worry, I know the feeling. There are more than enough people who do not want to hear anymore about Belgium by now. *W*

Homework:

Research assignment:

Do an internet search on:

Deltawerken, Queen Beatrix, Union of Utrecht, Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt, Dutch colonies, tulips, Dutch East India Company, Vermeer, Kampen, Saint Nicholas, speculaas, the Hague, Annie M.G. Schmidt

or locate and read the book: The Undutchables or Max Havelaar

Practical assignment:

-Make one of the Dutch recipes from this blog for your friends and family. Both the pea soup and the Uitsmijter, as well as the Dutch baby are quite easy, and you probably have the ingredients on hand.
- OR: offer hospitality Dutch style. Ask a friend or neighbour over for coffee. No need to exhaust yourself: just the two of you at the kitchen table with some cookies (can very well be storebought) and coffee will do.

Easy assignment:

- Tell someone you know three facts that you now know about the Netherlands.

Until tomorrow! I hope you are enjoying our tour!
Be loved and blessed,

Eva

2008-07-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Eva's Our Tour Guide

Greetings, Ladies!

This day we will be visiting the beautiful country of Italy. Once more a country that is much too big to describe in a single blogposts, so we will have to make do with the highlights. And as if Italy in itsself isn't enough, I will try to add a few words about that other nation within Italy's borders: Vatican City.
Italy is a country that has a much better reputation within the US than some of the previous we have visited. The only negative association about Italy comes from the view we have of Italian maffia, but even they are often romanticised figures. Italy we associate mostly with the sun, wonderful food, fashion, and la dolce vita.
Italy is all that, and it is more. Much more. Today, let's make time for a little tour of the wonderful Italian cities and countryside, for a trip of art, food, history and style.

Before we start however, I want to make a quick disclaimer that I am by no means an expert on all the countries I am describing. I have visited them all, but there are few that I know truely through and through. My view is that, not of a native (except for Belgium of course) but of an amateur, from the Italian word amatore: lover, enthousiast. And who could not love Italy... you have the magnificent art cities like Florence, Venice, Ravenna, Rome, islands with each their own separate culture like Murano, Sicily and Sardinia, Capri the countryside... Tuscany and Umbria, and of course the coast with beautiful cities like Genoa and Palermo...

Europe

But first, let's go to our map again and look for Italy. You see the large green country of France and then to the east of it you see the peninsula sticking out into Mediteranean sea? It has a bit the shape of a boot. That and the two big islands close to it, one seemingly attached to the tip of the boot, one further out in the sea. That is Italy. I will today focus on the peninsula of Italy. Both Sardinie and Sicily claim and have so much a culture of their own that to add them to todays blogpost would be driving it too far in trying to capture what can not be captured.

As you know by now, I like to begin my tour with a bit of history. The history of Italy however is so complex and different per part of the country that it would simply take too long and be too complicated to even start as a post of my own. After all, Italy has been the home of the etruscs, the heart of the Roman Empire, a collection of medieval mini states in fierce competition, part of France, part of Austria, part of Spain (and sometimes all those things at almost the same time). It has been a loose union, a monarchy, a fascist state and finally a republic. I will therefor only refer you to the this very good and not too long overview of Italian history, which goes from about 800 BC till the mid nineties of previous century:
http://www.electionworld.org/history/italy.htm

A good thing to remember though is that there was no real united Italy until the late 19th century. Italy is, since their defeat in the second world war a parliamentary democratic republic. Italian politics however are still a mixed bag of nuts and seldom truely stable.
I do want to add a small note here about the founding of that 'nation within a nation', Vatican city. All through medieval times, the Catholic Church did not just confine itsself to religious work, but mixed widely in world politics, quite often driven by individuals within the Church with less than Christian motives. I am a devout Catholic myself, but that does not make me blind for history. Throughout history, the wordly and political powers of the Church diminished and focussed back on faith. The independence of the Church though remained an important matter. How could the head of a Church be subject to a country? In 1929 therefor, the independant state of Vatican city, a few square miles wide was created as one of the smallest nations in the world. This little independant city is the administrative and governmental center of the Catholic Church.

From history and politics, let us go to art. And here I could spend pages writing about the beauty of Italian art. Some of it's images are etched into our collective memories, and with reason.

Italy is one of the most famous countries for it's art wether it's the music of Verdi, the impressive remnants of the Roman amphi theater the colloseum where once Christians suffered martyrship for our Lord, the craftsmanship of Murano glass, the magnificent buildings of that merchant city on water Venice or the paintings and sculptures that are etched in everyones memory. Boticelli's Venus, Leonardo da Vinci's last supper or his Mona Lisa or the Pieta by Michelangelo.

The remnants of early Christian devotion and the fact that so many remains of antiquity have been preserved is one reason for the blooming of art in Italy. Another one was the mecenat. With the prospering of the Italian cities wealth was available and prestige of the utmost importance. Being a patron of the arts was seen as another way to demonstrate both financial ability and a cultured mind. Being a benefactor of religious art was seen as a sign of devotion. Hence this blooming period of several centuries in which Italian artists became amongst the most celebrated and skilled in the world.

Artists from other countries, like Rubens, even went to Italy to study there with those that were considered the masters of their time, and Italy was THE place to stop for culture in the Grand Tour that people made. However, it is not just the works of the greatest masters that you can admire in Italy. WHen you make a visit to Rome, it sufices to walk into any church and see the artwork there that has been an expression of devotion for the masses for ages. One of the things we should not forget is that for the longest time, less than ten percent of the population of Western countries could read. Never the less they hungered for the stories from the bible, or the recounting of legends of the antiquity.
Therefor the depictions of religious art were one of the ways for people to get to know those stories, to familiarise themselves with details. Many will remember the uproar there was a few years ago about the book the Da Vinci code. This book could have never made such furore if people had been aware that there WAS indeed a code, but not a secret code of religious sects and mysterious plots as is implied. The code I am refered to is an artistic code. It was one custom for example to portray people from the bible in the contemporary clothing that the painter saw around him, that way it was easier for the people who saw the paintings, and who were not scholars, to recognise the status of people and who they were by the items before them or by the clothing they wore. Another custom was that of entering little symbols that now are virtually unreadable by most people except those who made a study of them.

A plate that seemed to balance half on the table for example was a reminder to those watching that the death could take them at any unexpected moment, and to have their souls prepared. An excellent example of that can be seen below. The shell on the tunic of the man on the right is another such sign, it was used in medieval times to show that someone was a traveling pilgrim. The red of the robe in which Jesus is dressed is both a colour of riches, and makes him stand out amidst his three companions, but it also refers to the blood He shed for us. Even in this small painting, there are dozens more symbols that tell the story that the painter wishes to tell, being able to read them often allows one to discover many rich layers in Italian art, some reverent, some less so...

Carravagio

For let us not forget that artists were never independent. They had to work for their patron and earn their salary. It is therefor not a wonder that on one hand they used the features of people they wished to please in the most flattering roles, and on the other hand sometimes allowed themselves little jokes, adding in the face of a curious monk, a face in the crowd that would not have been noted at first, but later be found out as a not so beloved rival or cheap patron, and other little details. They were part of the common lexicon of painting, without any sinister side plots attached. The next time you are in a museum and are looking at an Italian medieval, renaissance or baroque painting, try to see if you can find any little symbols that you recognise. An excellent and fun book to read by the American Author Samuel Shellabarger. It is not a historic work, but worked by a historic scholar and later made into a movie.

If there was more time I would like to go further into the literary tradition of Italy with Dantes famous Divina Comedia, the famous works of Machiavelli, poets like Boccacio and Tasso... but each of them would require an explenation at least as long as the above detailing of one, single painting.

And then we have not even talked about opera, that other proud Italian tradition. Although I can not do the subject justice, I do want to say a few words. Opera, for the longest time, has been the music of the people in Italy. The grand opera houses had their balconies and circles for the elite, but there were places available for the masses, shopkeepers, servants... all went to the opera. People knew and sometimes know the songs, and the great composers are considered part of the general Italian heritage. The stories of Italian opera vary from fun and flirtatious, movingly romantic to deep social undertones, which all can be found in for example Verdi's work.
But opera is not the only contribution of the Italians to music, think of Palestrina, Vivaldi, Paganini, Rossini and others. Music is part of the Italian fabric of life, from the now popular radio tunes to the classical works of the great masters.

You might be tempted to think that people surounded by a legacy of such great art and literature would be a serious people that go through the day in deep contemplation of the mysteries of life and beauty, but as everyone knows, that image is not exactly true. Italy has a culture that is drenched with the sun. Family and food are central in the day to day life. One can say that the artistry of the past still influences Italy by its love for style in fashion. Especially in the large cities, beauty and glamour play a large part. There is a sense of a lost beauty in the daily life that people try to recapture through the new arts of the fashion industry and a glamourous style of living. There are two Italies that converge in their love for family and food. One is the simpler lifestyle of the country with piety, a simple rhythm to the days determined by the churchbells and the daily work and bread, the other the fashionable life in the city with elegant salons, creative cuisine, international allure and a glamour that takes quite a bit of work to be achieved.
Of course I once more oversimplify things, but the contrast of both Italies is visible and it creates a palette for the senses that makes it impossible to truely 'grasp' Italy in one visit. One has to make a journey throughout the country and get a feel for the different ways of life united in this one bootshaped peninsula... Hospitality though is always extended through food and is never, ever hurried. A meal can easily take three hours. The pasta dish that we consider a meal there is only one course of a four or five course dinner. A gathering of friends is easy to make with some simple apetisers, some Italian cheese, bread, salt and olive oil and a glass of wine and hours of conversation.

Weaving my way to the end of this visit, I can not help but stop for a moment at the Italian cuisine. With so many Italian immigrants in the United States, this is one of the more known cuisines. People have long since left the idea that Italian food is only spaghetti marinara or spaghetti with meatballs. Aside from the many pizzeria's there are many restaurants that offer traditional Italian cuisine. Therefor, I will only add a few special recipes to this post from different sides of the country that perhaps will widen your Italian repertoire. No doubt, Italian food is easy enough to find.

There... a whole new list of slightly different Italian recipes, which brings us to the end of our Italian tour. There is so much more I had wished to mention, Italian wines, olive oil, the position of women in Italy, but as always in a grand tour, we can only see a few highlights and hope that it wets your apetite for further study and perhaps even a visit.

What I want you to remember from todays lesson:

- Italy is a young republic
- Worldfamous Italian masters worked under the mecenat in which they were supported by a patron.
- Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque paintings have an artistic code that allows them to be read like a book
- Italy is both glamourous and rustic
- The wordly power of the Catholic Church had an enormous influence over the development of history and art in Italy. (and actually in the rest of Europe)
- The Italian cuisine is diverse and much more than just spaghetti with tomato sauce
- Music plays an important role in Italian life
- Italian hospitality centers around food and conversation and takes a long time.

Homework:

yes, here I am again with your homework assignments. By now you have no doubt caught on to the system. Chose one, and let me know what you think.

Research

Do an internet search on any of the following topics:
Italy, Sicily, Sardinie, pasta, Bernini, Paganini, Collosseum, Rome, Florence, Venice, Trieste, Milan, Ravenna, Vatican City, Tuscany, Umbria, Vivaldi, Rossini, Verdi, Armani, Ferragano, Gucci, Valentino, Versace, Botticelli, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Raphael, Tintoretto, Mussolini, Prodi, Victor Emmanuel

Practical assignment:

- make one of the recipes out of the Italian collection for your family
- offer hospitality Italian style: invite some friends over for very simple food, sit outside on the porch or inside around the table with some wine and talk for hours and hours and hours.
- Reveal your inner fashionista: think about this assignment for a bit before executing it. Then go to your closet and take half an hour or an hour to turn yourself out as stylish as possible. Do not forget to do your hair and make up and see what level of elegance you can achieve if you truely take your time for it. Extra credit if you have a baby sitter and then spend the evening with your husband with some wine and nice homemade food.

2008-07-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Eva Takes Us on a Grand Tour of Europe

One of the things that amazed my husband in Europe, and especially in Belgium was that the shops were actually closed on sundays. True, in the big tourist cities, some shops might have been allowed an exception if this was regulated by law, or decided to buck tradition if it was not, but in general, on sunday, shops are closed. In Belgium this rule has one or two exceptions: bakeries are allowed to be open a few hours in the morning, and restaurants and cafes are allowed to be open. The reasoning behind this is clear. Sunday traditionally is a day for God and family. Having a big, family sunday breakfast with fresh rolls and pastries is part of that. Or celebrating a special occasion together by going out to eat as a family is part of that. Shopping for a new dress isn't.

In our grand tour of Europe I wanted to observe this sunday as a day of quiet. But that means that today is the last day of our tour of Europe, and I have barely scratched the surface, not just in the countries we have seen, but with the countries we have seen. There is so much more to Europe than the four countries we have visited. Perhaps if there is a second edition of the Finishing School, we will visit some other countries, because there is so much more to tell.

What about Switzerland, with it's famed neutrality, it's bank secret, its beautiful lakes and yummie ricola bonbons... What about Yugoslavia, torn apart by war so recently and trying to build up again? Or the republics that once belonged to Yugoslavia? Kroatia that is swiftly becoming a tourist destination? Macedonia, that is still trying to find it's belance? Serbia, that is dealing with a war history and accusations of etnic cleansing, and still trying to get ahead?
Do we add Eastern Europe to what we look at as Europe or not? And then there is Greece, birthplace of Western Civilisation they say, with the wonderful myths that have given birth to literature and theater alike, the great thinkers who are still read and admired. There is Monaco, that went from ill reputed tax paradise to the playing ground of the rich and wealthy, Germany, so much more than just memories of the war, Spain with it's sun baked cities and rich tradition, Austria with it's mountains, it's flowers, it's wonderful kitchen, beautiful cities and picturesque villages....

Europe

If you look at the colourful jigsaw puzzle of the map, there is so much more. How can I stop at just four countries? Well, maybe instead of a Grand tour, we have taken a little tour, just a sample of what was on offering. With the hope of more to come one day. What I do hope you have sensed and learned of these posts, by just learning more about four countries that actually border eachother (I really wish I had time for Austria as well) is how different they are, not just in climate, but in history, in atmosphere, in temperament, in the way they offer hospitality, in the way they cook and in what they find important.

Seeing more countries would reveal both more differences and general similarities. The sun, you will find, has a great influence on a countries temper, and on the way they offer hospitality. People in a mountainous climate cook but also act differently. Older countries have different habits and rules than newer countries, and so we could go on for a while. Some countries are firmly established, some are fledglings, still trying to find their balance. And each one has something different to offer: nature, culture, or people wise.

With that, I can only end by hoping that some of you might one day have a chance to actually see some of the countries yourselves. Tickets are not as life alteringly expensive anymore, but they still require some saving. And the dollar versus the euro could make it a very expensive vacation at the moment. So... while you perhaps wait and save and plan, here is a last homework assingment.

In my previous posts, you've seen me post recipes from different countries from the website www.recipezaar.com.
Today, if you have a few spare minutes go and browse through them, type in the names of some countries we have not been able to visit. You might find a delicious Schwarzwalder kirsch torte; THE original chocolate cake with cheries. You might find a wonderful Serbian bean soup, an original Hungarian goulash recipe or Swiss cheesefondue. Consider perhaps hosting an international potluck one day, before winter sets in. One of the wonderful things about America is that you find people from every heritage, and a lot of them may still have a recipe from mom or grandma in their books that will give you a new take on some familiar ingredients.

For now, this will have to be the end of the Grand Tour. I hope you have enjoyed the little bit of information that you may have gleaned from these post. Keep your eyes on the blogs of Elizabeth and Emma for further installments of the Finishing School.

Be loved and blessed,

Eva

2008-06-27T13:14:00.001-07:00

Here we go with Julieann's lovely lemon cake. She made it last year for the finishing school and has also done it again on her blog, My Daily Life as a Wife and Mother, for her newer readers.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Lemon Frosting:

Good Morning/Afternoon. I hope the cake instructions were easy to follow. Now I am going to explain the Lemon Frosting. It was very easy to make, and it tasted wonderful.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups powdered sugar
Frosting:Beat cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, lemon rind, and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and beat together. Add the additional 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until creamy. Add more icing sugar or juice as needed for easy spreading.
First we need some lemon rind--I used my box grater, and used the small holes, but I always find it difficult to get all the lemon peel out of the grater, so I used the cheese grater pictured and then just chopped the rest of the peel really fine. If you have a microplane, use that--that is something I need to get:)
Put your softened cream cheese, softened butter, lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using your hand mixer cream together. Just like the cake recipe, you can also use your stand mixer or your own hand instead:
Then start adding the powdered sugar, after each cup mix it:
After all the powdered sugar is added, you come up with this wonderful creamy and yummy frosting:
Can you see how the mixing lines stay put in the frosting--nice and thick--but very easy to spread on our cake:

Tomorrows post will be how I frosted the cake.

I hope everyone has a Wonderful Wednesday, Thank you so much for stopping by xoxox

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Cake Instructions, Step by Step:

Good Morning/Afternoon to all who come and visit. I am so happy that some of you have already made the cake--it is a really yummy cake and easy to make. Today I am showing step by step instructions on how to make the cake---->

First make sure you have all the ingredients:

Yellow Cake:
2 3/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powdered
1/2 cup Butter or Margarine
1 3/4 cups Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 1/4 cups Milk

This is how I butter and flour my pans--I use two 9 inch rounds and I get a little baggy and put some butter on it and use my hand in the baggy to butter the pan all around: Then I put a spoonful of flour in the pan and shake it all around until the flour is well coated all around the pan as shown:
These are my two well coated buttered and floured pans:
Now for the ingredients---use a measuring cup and measure out the amount of flour and use a butter knife or the side of the jar to measure evenly:
Pour the flour into

a bowl: salt:
Baking powder--put the bowl of dry ingredients aside:
In a mixing bowl put your room temperature butter or margarine in a mixing bowl and beat for about 30 seconds. I used a hand mixer, but you can also use a stand mixer or your own hand:)
Then add the sugar and the vanilla and beat until well combined:

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing one minute after each:

Add milk and the dry ingredients alternately, little by little, beating each time:
Beating:
Adding some of the flour:
All the ingredients are all together now:

Pour the mixture into the floured pans, and use a spatula to get every drop:

Here are the pans filled with the cake batter all ready to go into the oven:
Cook the cake at 375' for 30- 35 minutes---only you know your oven, so you will have to keep an eye on your cakes, my cake was actually done cooking at 26 minutes: I use the toothpick trick to make sure the cake is cooked all the way through. Stick a toothpick in the center and if it pulls out clean your cake is done:

See the toothpick is clean--cake is done--yay!!! I let the cake cool on that wire rack for about ten minutes, then I turned them over onto two plates and let them cool completely before I frosted them:

Tomorrow, I am going to show you step by step how I made the lemon frosting to go on the cake:) I hope you enjoyed my cake making adventure--have a wonderful Tuesday my friends!!!

Monday, July 16, 2007

The Cake Recipe

Here is the cake recipe I will be making. Get all your ingredients ready.

Yellow Cake with Lemon Frosting:

Yellow Cake:

2 3/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powdered
1/2 cup Butter or Margarine
1 3/4 cups Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 1/4 cups Milk

Grease and lightly flour two round baking pans. Combine flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Beat butter about 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla, beat till well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating after each addition. Turn into pans. Bake 375' oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till done. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans. Cool. Serve 12.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups powdered sugar

Frosting:Beat cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, lemon rind, and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and beat together. Add the additional 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until creamy. Add more icing sugar or juice as needed for easy spreading.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Final Step--Cake

Good Morning to all who visit. This is the last step of our cake, and I am so happy you have followed me along on this fun cake making adventure. A few years ago, my husband wanted me to make a special cake for my daughter, and I did not how or where to start, so my husband bought me a cake decorating kit at Michael's, and in the box this frosting spreader came with it. I frost all my cakes with it now, it makes for a nice smooth look. I am sure you can pick one of these up at any store for a few dollars--if not use a butter knife. :0)
Don't worry if some of the cake stayed in the pan, or it doesn't look real nice, the frosting hides all mistakes. Start by putting a good amount of frosting on the first cake (do you notice it is the backside of the cake, I did not turn it over) and frost it all around the middle, don't worry about the sides--the sides are done last. Yummy-->
Then take the second cake and flip it over onto the first cake-->
Start frosting the top and then work it all along the sides, until it is all covered up.

Great job!! It is all covered up and looks great--->
Take a lemon and cut it in rounds and then cut the rounds in half--try and cut the lemon thin------> (remove seeds too;)
Line the lemons all around the edge of the cake, you can even put one on the top of the cake--or do what Elizabeth suggested, a sprig of mint on the top--I bet the green looks beautiful
Ta-Da---all done.

We did it. The cake is moist and delicious and the lemon frosting is so refreshing for summer. I am so happy I was able to do this for the Ladies Finishing School, and please if there are any questions don't hesitate to ask. I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday xoxox

2008-03-03T13:23:00.001-08:00

Classes:

I thought it might be time to insert a post helping new time readers navigate this sites. While we may offer new posts in the future, we are -- at the moment -- collecting posts from various bloggers who contributed to the original "Online Finishing School for Ladies" project.

So far, I've transferred three of the original "courses" to this central blog:

Elizabeth's (another Elizabeth) classes on Flower Arranging.
Emma's posts about Personal Presentation
Meredith's posts about Living Well on Less.

I will continue to put up more topics as I have time to transfer them here.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

2008-03-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

This begins a series on flower arranging written by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's flowers (Note: There were two "teachers" named Elizabeth in the original line up of Finishing School bloggers). Please visit her blog for more wonderful ideas about flowers, handmade stationery, etc.

Finishing school coming to a blog near you...

Elizabeth (a different Elizabeth), of the Merry Rose, and Emma of Charming the Birds from the Trees, are running a Finishing School in blogdom this summer. They have recruited various guest “instructors” who are expected to write five blog entries during their assigned week in their area of expertise. Subjects include personal presentation, French and Asian culture, baking, needlework/sewing, gift giving, home keeping, and flowers. Guess who was asked to cover flowers?

Coming up with five consecutive entries in one week certainly will be challenging for me, given my past blogging track record. However, I'm hoping that this opportunity will help me become a lot more consistent.

So, come back each day next week, and learn about simple flower arranging, growing a cutting garden, flowers in the home, creating centerpieces, and herbal arrangements. And, feel free to leave comments or questions. I’d appreciate your input!

2008-03-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

Simple Flower Arranging

Please note that this series on flower arranging was originally written by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's flowers. Please visit her blog for more ideas.

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our visitors from the online Finishing School today.

I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to cover the topic of Flowers in the Home, and today we’ll begin with simple flower arranging.

In all honesty, I believe flower arranging is something you are already good at. Even children are amazingly good at it, but I want to remind you of the basics and give you a few good tips along the way. And, remember that God has already made flowers incredibly beautiful.
All we have to do is gently place them in a different setting.

Types of Flowers: Tending toward the frugal side, I tend to use what I have readily available. Tomorrow I’ll cover cutting gardens, but use what is in abundance in your garden, in a nearby meadow, or whatever seems to be a good deal at the florist or supermarket. It’s also nice to have some greens of filler flowers to accent your primary flowers.

Vases and accessories: Anything that holds water is fair game. In addition to standard vases, I love using green Perrier water bottles, old lab ware, interesting votive holders, and mismatched china pieces such as sugar bowls or gravy boats. Use a clear vase or vessel when you are using flowers with beautiful, graceful stems, like calla lilies or tulips (see picture below).

Other tools: A knife, scissors, or shears that are really sharp (a sharp, even cut allows the flowers to absorb water and nutrients more efficiently). Also, floral foam and floral frogs are very useful for holding stems in just the right place. Personally, I usually prefer informal arrangements and rarely use them, but they are available from any good craft store. To keep stems in place when I’m in a hurry, I sometimes tie them together loosely with saran wrap.

Making your arrangement: After obtaining your flowers and selecting your vessel, remove any leaves that will fall below the waterline. This keeps the water and flowers fresher, longer. Also, re-cut the bottom of each flower stem on a diagonal just prior to placing them in the vase. I use floral food when I have it, and always pour a capful of hydrogen peroxide or a few drops of bleach into the water to help inhibit bacterial growth.

Next, think about what shape you would like your arrangement to be. Most arrangements tend to by pyramid shaped, especially for bouquets of more that one type of flower. Ball shaped arrangements are also common, especially for a uniformly shaped flower, such as roses or chrysanthemums.

Shorten the stems as needed to fit the general shape you have decided on. Make sure the flowers face outward, and at a pleasing angle for your shape. Use the largest flower along the bottom of your arrangement, and then work with one flower at a time, spreading each type of flower through out the arrangement. However, you may want to bunch together very small flowers of the same color, so that they can make more of an impact.

As you use up all of your flowers, fill up any remaining holes with greens. Make sure the greens don’t stick out; they should come to rest where the shape of your flowers ends.

Later in the week we will cover even simpler arrangements – arrangements with just a single flower, and arrangements made up entirely of foliage.

Tomorrow: Suggestions for growing a cutting garden and choosing color combinations for your arrangements.

2008-03-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

Growing a Cutting Garden

Please note that this wonderful series about using flowers in the home was written by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Flowers. Visit her blog and web site for more great ideas.

Many gardeners grow flowers to create fresh bouquets for their homes, or to give away to friends, but they also want to be able to enjoy the beauty of their garden itself. In my case, I need to be able to harvest many of my flowers for my pressed flower business. Can one have it both ways?

Well, yes and no. The ideal solution is to have a cutting garden – a utilitarian flower garden dedicated solely to the production of flowers.

A cutting garden is ideally placed in a side yard or someplace generally out of site. Because this is a production garden, design correctness isn’t as important as making sure flowers are placed as close together as they can tolerate, and that they receive an optimal amount of daily sunshine.

Set up your cutting garden as you would any garden, in a well drained location with plenty of peat moss and soil amendments as. I use my vegetable garden as my primary cutting and pressed flower garden. Some of the flowers weave in and out of the vegetables, and the flowers end up beautifying the vegetable garden, yet they aren’t missed when I’ve cut them. If you have a separate dedicated space, plant your flowers in long narrow rows, for easy harvesting. It’s also a good ideas to plant annuals in succession, with early season, mid-season, and late season bloomers each grouped together – just read your seed packets to determine what blooms when. To encourage flower production, pick blossoms regularly. Remove faded blossoms (called deadheading) as this prevents them from forming seeds, which slows down flower production.

Your choice of what to plant is almost limitless, but as a rule, long-stemmed annuals and perennials make the best cut flowers. Include some foliage plants for texture and color in arrangements and floral bouquets.

Your local university extension office can give you a list tailored for your location, but here’s a brief list of flowers that I have found to work well here in Wisconsin.

Annuals: zinnia, cosmos, small sunflower, larkspur, calendula, pansies, statice, sweet pea, scabiosa, baby’s breath, strawflower, celosia, dianthus

Perennials: black-eyed Susan, yarrow, coneflower, huechera, delphinium, Russian sage, Shasta daily, foxglove, asters, and mums.

Foliage: hostas, artemisia (silver-leafed varieties), coleus, lavender, dusty miller, and lamb's ears.

In case you might be interested, here's a list of flowers that press well.

2008-03-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Flowers in the Home: Centerpieces and Place Settings

Note: This series on flower arranging was originally posted by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's flowers. See her blog and web site for more great ideas!

Today’s “Flowers in the Home” Installment features a random list of centerpiece and place setting ideas. If you have an idea of your own, please feel free to share it with us!

Table Centerpieces

- should basically be fragrance free
- relatively short: below each person’s eye level
- should not to be too expansive – to avoid overcrowding the table.

A few ideas:

- Seasonal fruit or vegetables, or even large seed pods, in a decorative bowl: there can be a colorful variety of items, or a monochromatic look (i.e. a bowlful of lemons) is even more dramatic. For something really different, try some of the new and interesting winter squash varieties seen at your local farmer’s market.

- A series of small bouquets in unusual containers, going down the middle of the table, such as cans (see above picture) or tea cups.

- a basket of dried flowers, arranged as a bouquet, or with long stems tied together, lying in the basket.

- a clear glass bowl, with several flower blossoms floating on top.

- a large handful of dried grasses or grains, cut the same length, about 8”-10”and tied together with a decorative ribbon. If you twist the stems in the same direction before tying them, they kind of flare out like a fan and should stand up on their own.

Individual Place Setting Embellishments:

By placing individual vases or place cards at every plate, you help each person feel welcome and valued.

- Pick up some inexpensive glass votive candle holders from the dollar store, and place a single elegant flower in each “personal vase”. Or, an ivy sprig, or several colorful hosta or heuchera leaves.

- Create individual place cards. For each person, fold a small white index card in half, write their name on the card, and embellish with a pressed flower . If you need a really good flower press, you can find one here, or here. (Shameless plug).

- In the fall, press large, colorful leaves in a phone book about a week or so before you need them (or use the flower press mentioned above). Once pressed, write each person’s name on the leave with a good quality gold, bronze, or copper metallic marker, and place a leaf on each person’s plate. This was a big hit at our house last year at Thanksgiving. By the way, pressed leaves also look nice discreetly taped on a mirror in the entrance way, or on a front door window.

- Finally, browse through Better Homes and Gardens, or a similar women’s magazine. They are loaded with examples of centerpieces – even the advertisements!

2008-03-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Flowers in the Home

(Note: This series on Flower Arranging was originally written by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's flowers. Please note that there were two teachers in the original Finishing School lineup: myself and this author. Visit her wonderful blog for more ideas about flowers, homemade stationary, flower collages, etc. )

Yesterday we looked at making table centerpieces, and today in our “Flowers in the Home” series we will look at ways to bring flowers/plants into other areas of our home.

Although it’s not a flower, one of my favorite ways to bring “the outside in” is with ivy –it’s almost indispensable. I have a regular, common ivy plant, as well as a variegated type, and one with larger heart shaped leaves, and use them all through out my house. Since ivy cuttings can survive for months in water, I place cuttings in decorative glass bottles or small vases and place them anywhere a touch of green freshness is needed, such as in the bathroom, on my computer desk, in my studio, and even in a gloomy corner of a large bookshelf. Once a cutting develop a copious amount of roots, pot it up (and give it to a friend), toss it in the compost pile, or in the spring, they can be added to your container plantings.

Another beneficial plant (with flowers this time) is the scented geranium (see above picture). They can be somewhat difficult to find, and a little pricey, but worth every penny. There are many varieties, but the rose scented varieties are among the best. Place one on the front step, or anywhere someone can brush against it and release its wonderful scent as they pass by. The leaves can be dried and used in potpourri, or pressed and used to scent stationary.

This is kind of off today’s topic, but I also wanted to mention a few strategies to use when buying flowers from the florist, since many of us aren’t blessed with flowers in our gardens year round. The most important thing I’ve learned is this: make friends with your local florist! Florists often have to guess the needs of their customers at any given point in time, and often times they have too much of this, or that. Once your florist gets to know you, they likely will be willing to give you special deals on their extra flowers.

When buying flowers from the florist, carnations are always a smart buy. If the water is changed at least every other day, and you occasionally re-cut the bottom of their stems at an angle, they will last up to 3 weeks. Also, don’t overlook foliage. I bought some large pieces of “silver leaf” eucalyptus from my florist last winter, and it lasted well over two months – and it looked very dramatic in my entrance way.

Finally, edit your bouquets as needed. As one type of flower fades, replace them with other flowers, or remove them and place the remaining flowers in a smaller vase – it will look like you have a brand new bouquet!

Tomorrow: Fragrant Herbal Arrangements

2008-03-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

Flower Arranging:

Here’s one last short but sweet entry today for the “Flowers in the Home” series: Herbal Arrangements.

I grew herbs in my garden for years, but rarely used them. Often times I would be just about done preparing a meal when I realized that I could have put some basil in this, or thyme in that, or chives on this. A few years ago, I came upon an article in a magazine which had pictures of small bowls of snipped herb bouquets – they were adorable, and I immediately made one of my own. The whole point of the article was that if you keep a fresh herb bouquet in your kitchen, not only does it look inviting, you will be much more likely to incorporate herbs into your cooking.

Here’s how to do it:

* Select a colorful variety of herbs: basil, oregano, a bit of sage, thyme, chives, and any other herb that’s that you might have. If you grow nasturtiums, their edible flowers would add a wonderful burst of color. If you don’t have your own herbs, fresh herbs from the produce department, or farmer’s market will do just fine.

* Wash the herbs well, and gently shake off the excess water.

* Select a small bowl, add cool water and place the herbs inside. A vase could also be used, but it is easier to gently tug a sprig or two of herbs from a loose arrangement in a bowl, than a tighter arrangement from a vase.

* Keep the bowl on your kitchen counter by day, and place it in the refrigerator at night. Change the water daily, and the herbs will stay fresh for days. Replace with new sprigs as needed. Don’t throw away old sprigs, put them in the garbage disposal enjoy their delightful scent.

Now, don’t forget to use them! I’m off to enjoy an omelet with fresh basil and chives.

It's been fun to be a part of the 2007 Finishing School this week. I'm grateful for the opportunity, and hope you've been inspired to bring more of God's beauty into your home.

2008-02-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

This is the post that inspired the idea for the Online Ladies Finishing School. It was written by Emma.

Ladette to Lady...

While flipping through the channels tonight, I came upon a program that I wish that I had known about sooner on the Sundance channel. It is called Ladette to Lady. It is a British reality show about modern girls becoming a proper ladies after going through an old-fashioned finishing school's curriculum.

Here are highlights from the five episode series:

Episode One

The girls are shoehorned into the Eggleston Hall uniform: a tight-fitting tweed suit, sensible shoes and pearl necklace and introduced to the curriculum: deportment, elocution, needlework, flower arranging and cookery.
They've got just four days to prepare for their first big test: a shooting party at Burton Agnes, one of Yorkshire's finest country estates, at which they will be expected to show what they've learnt at Finishing School so far, and in particular how to behave around gentlemen.

Episode Two

At the start of their second week at Finishing School seven ladettes are faced with a daunting challenge: The ladettes must create quail and pheasant ravioli; nine bird roast with dauphine potatoes; and sherry trifle and langues du chat. Under the fearsome tutelage of cookery teacher Rosemary Shrager, the girls – none of whom can even cook scrambled eggs – have got just five days to master some of the hardest techniques in haut cuisine.
Liz Brewer, Egglestone Hall's etiquette teacher considers the forthcoming event: “The whole objective is to actually make yourself attractive and desirable to these young men that are coming to dinner.” “You've got to be sexy, but not obvious. Titillating but not tacky.”
Assessing the girls, Liz quickly realizes that this might be their biggest obstacle and the group are all packed off for a mini makeover in order to make themselves appear more presentable and feminine.

Episode Three

This week the ladettes get the chance to be chalet girls in Verbier, one of Switzerland's most prestigious ski resorts. Being a chalet girl was a rite of passage for Finishing School graduates... The ladettes soon discover that being a chalet girl is no holiday. They'll have to prepare gourmet meals on an extremely tight budget, keep the chalet in impeccable condition and play hostess to eight demanding men.
Meanwhile at Eggleston Hall, scouser Louise Porter, Chelsea Fan Laura Hearsum and barmaid Rebecca Squire have been set an unforgiving timetable of deportment, elocution and flower-arranging lessons.

Episode Four

This week the teachers leave the five ladettes alone at Eggleston Hall to host a country house weekend. They will be provided with domestic staff including a butler and must lay on two days of well-planned hospitality for a selection of eligible bachelors. According to Debrett's Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners “At its best the country house weekend probably represents the pinnacle of Anglo Saxon culture; at its worst it can be torture beyond compare for all concerned”. Leaving the ladettes in charge of Eggleston Hall is a huge gamble and there's little sign they are up to the challenge.

Episode Five

Wearing dresses they have made Eggleston Hall the ladettes will each make an entrance and be judged on their poise, grooming, confidence and elocution by a selection of aristocrats.
Iin addition to preparing for the Ball the girls must pass exams in all subjects in order to graduate. They've got just four days left to perfect their flower-arranging, elocution, deportment, and to make a gigantic seven-tiered cake which will be on display at the ball threatening to collapse spectacularly if they get it wrong.

Warning: The ladies on this show can be very crude. I don't recommend watching this program with children.

2008-02-22T10:56:00.001-08:00

Finishing School: Personal Presentation...

by Emma

Wardrobe

The final entry for our week on Personal Presentation will be on a lady's wardrobe. There is a bit of an obsession with wardrobe size, style, and fit in today's society. One can hardly flip through a magazine without coming across at least one or two blurbs on creating the perfect style or flawless wardrobe. There are even countless tv shows and websites dedicated to the subject!

How a lady dresses really depends on what she needs to do with her time. If a woman works outside the home, she will need to have more variety than a woman who is a homemaker. This is NOT to say that a homemaker should allow herself to become stuck in a clothing rut. Your family and home is your job and you should dress like it! Remember, it takes the same amount of time to put on a well-fitting and stylish top and bottom as it does to slap on a pair of sweatpants and a ratty tee shirt.

Though it is a bit outdated, I have found Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson's book Better Than Beauty: A Guide to Charm to have one of the best explanations on wardrobe planning I have ever read. Here it is for your enjoyment:

Planning a Wardrobe
"How does one do it? Many women's magazines have a blissful way of attacking the problem as though money grew on trees. They tell you how many dresses and pairs of shoes you will need, what hats and coats to choose, and what accessories. But most of us cannot afford a whole new wardrobe at one time. And even women who could afford it would think twice before they threw out a few favorite frocks or a good coat and started from scratch.

Planning begins at home, right in front of your clothes closet. But even before that, there is one important step. Sit down for a moment and think. During the coming season, where will you be going, what will you be doing? exactly what types of clothes will you need the most?

No one except you can plan your wardrobe. But here are a few general ideas which may help:

Let's go back to your clothes closet. Take out everything you have left from last year. Let us suppose that it is an autumn and winter wardrobe you are planning. Out comes the old coat (how board you are with it!), the crepe frock, the brown wool sweet dress, the tired dinner gown, the suit that was such a bargain but really not much fun to wear. What a collection! This is the time when familiarity breeds contempt! You'd like to bundle them all up and send them to a worthy charity. But you can't. So, sit down and do the next best thing.

If you can sew, you're in luck. If you've never tries to sew, by all means make an effort. Or, if you don't want to sew, find an inexpensive seamstress. You have no idea how much money you can save if you've never tried this most practical of all ways to use leftovers.

Take that old coat. You really do need a new one. But let's not make a decision about it until we've considered the whole problem. Put the coat aside for a moment. If you can manage to salvage the suit, perhaps you'll be able to get that much needed coat. Your suit wasn't a success. The skirt was never becoming because it bulged in the back, though you did like the jacket. And it was a good looking tweed. How about the old wool dress? You never realized how nice it's plain nubby surface looks next to that nubby green tweed. Why not make a new skirt out of the wool dress? Sometime that merely means cutting at the waistline and mounting the skirt on a belt. Sometimes it means a complete remaking. But even that is less expensive than buying a new skirt.

Well, if that works, you won't have to spend as much on a suit. So there's something saved toward that new coat.

How about the crepe dress? Is it beyond redemption? Well it's black and that's a help. But the collar looks worn and gray. Cleaning can't change that. How about ripping the collar off entirely and putting on a small one of heavy white silk? Don't sew it in. Put it on with snaps, so that you can remove it easily. Why not have several collars? A dusty pink or a soft yellow would look lovely on black, if those colors look well on you. At any rate the old black crepe will do to start the season. So again you've saved something toward the coat.

The dinner gown is a lovely color, but you've worn it so often. And it's skirt has a decidedly last-year look. Must you wear it another season? No- you have a plan. You'll get a coat. It will be black, because your last one was brown and also because the wardrobe that includes only one coat can stretch itself the furthest on black. You'll ask the store to get you enough extra fabric from the manufacturer to make a simple skirt. The neighborhood tailor will make it for you for very little. The old dinner gown can be cut up to make a really lovely blouse to wear with the new skirt. And you doubtless have other blouses or sweaters that will do nicely with the black skirt and give you a well-put-together look when you wear them with a new black coat.

That leaves a dinner gown to be bought. And, when you get some extra money, a street dress or two.That is the way to plan.

Of course, your closet will reveal an entirely different set of props, but the theory holds just the same. Too many women look dowdy merely because they do not make the effort to pull their wardrobes into shape. It does take thought and effort. But the results more than justify them. Chic can easily be a triumph of mind over money."

Homework: What five things can you add to your wardrobe to make it a bit more easy for you to get dressed in the mornings? Do you enjoy purchasing accessories (shoes, bags, jewelery) more that you enjoy purchasing clothing?

2008-02-22T10:55:00.001-08:00

Finishing School: Personal Presentation...

by Emma

Now that we have gone over feminine attitude, health, and posture, we will be focusing our attention on grooming. While caring for one's general tidiness is probably the least difficult thing one can do, it is often the most neglected.

How often have you looked in the mirror to realize that your eyebrows needed plucking, you hadn't taken the time to get your hair trimmed, and your nail polish was chipped? With the exception of appointments at the salon, most of our beauty routines only take a few minutes at a time... and once they are done, we feel like a million dollars.

There are several different ways to make sure that you take care of your basic grooming needs. One way is do lock yourself in the bathroom once every week or so and work on everything at once. Another method is to take care of things little by little, day by day. Perhaps you do your nails on Monday, your eyebrows on Tuesday, and your exfoliation on Wednesday, etc. Still another way of taking care of yourself (and sadly the category that I fall into most frequently) is the "wait-until-everything-looks horrendous-before-I-take-care-of-myself" mentality.

Many of us need a game plan for taking care of our home and it is the same with our bodies. Often, there are times in our life when we are on top of our grooming game (usually when we are dating someone special, have just gotten a new job, were just married, etc.) and we need to make sure that we take that enthusiasm for our personal presentation throughout our lives. We have to realize that we are walking billboards for ourselves and our families.

The first step in preparing our game plan is to think about all of the things that we do for our bodies on a regular basis. Once that list is drawn up, you can go through each item and decide when you need to do each item. To help illustrate my point, I will give you some examples:

Daily: Moisturize, Brush and Floss Teeth, Wash Face and Moisturize, Makeup and Hair

Every Other Day: Shower, Shave, Clean Ears

Weekly: Eyebrows, Manicure and Pedicure (if needed), Clean Jewelry that is worn daily, Biore Pore Strip

Every Three Months: Trim bangs

Every Six Months: Hair cut/trim

Some time ago, I also posted and entry on my blog that I found fascinating: Your One-Night-A-Week Beauty Routine (for both Housewives and Working Girls)... Enjoy!

Homework: Plan out your grooming routine and tell us what will work better for you - doing everything at once or spreading the tasks out. Also, what is the beauty ritual that you enjoy performing the most?

2008-02-22T10:54:00.001-08:00

Finishing School: Personal Presentation...

by Emma

Posture

As I sit here at my computer desk beginning the third entry for this week on personal presentation, I feel I must be honest with you. I do not have the greatest posture in the world. I walk with a relatively straight back, but I slouch when I sit - without fail.

So, since I need this lesson more than anyone reading this entry, I am going to use two of my favorite writers to teach us about the art of beautiful carriage!

A Guide to Elegance - Genevieve Antoine Dariaux

"Years ago, every well-bred young girl was given posture lessons, and even today when we send our young daughters to dancing school it is usually in the hope that they will grow up to be graceful young women rather than prima ballerinas.

The models who present a fashion collection adopt a curious kind of extremely unnatural walk and posture, with their shoulders slightly hunched, their tummies hollowed and their hips shoved forward to form a kind of figure S. They glide rather than walk and the entire effect is deliberately striking and artificial. But you can be sure that as soon as these beauties leave the spotlight, they assume a perfectly natural walk and posture.

In normal life, it is always to a woman's advantage to hold herself straight, as if she wished to stretch her height by several inches, even if she is already very tall. A rounded back, sagging shoulders and a drooping chin create an image of extreme lassitude, or discouragement with life... and of being ten years older than you really are.

When a woman is trying on clothes, she almost always holds herself beautifully erect in front of the dressing room mirrors. If afterward she hollows her chest and lets her whole body slump, she should not be surprised to find that her new dress does not look at all as chic as it did when she tried it in the shop."

Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm - Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson

"When we think of women who stand and walk and sit with distinction, our minds visualize the late eighteen nineties and early nineteen hundreds. They certainly stood up and sat straight, those ironclad, corseted-to-the-chin mothers and grandmothers of ours. But rigid ramrods are out of date. Non of us is going back to that painfully restricted era. Neither have be hours to spend walking with books on our heads, nor the leisure to practice how to sit down gracefully.

Rigidity is not necessary when you are aiming at good posture. It isn't even a good goal. But most of us have at least one ugly and easily changed fault of our carriage.

Are you the toil worn type, the woman who walks with bent shoulders and a drooped middle? Get rid of the mental attitude, tuck in your stomach, and watch your body straighten! Are you the inquiring duck-neck carrying your head about three inches ahead of your body? Back up against a wall and make your head touch the wall, too. Get the feel of this proper position, and check yourself as you pass reflecting windows and mirrors.

Do you toe out in the genteel, outmoded fashion of 1912? make a conscious effort to get those toes straight ahead. Have you the arrogant bustle walk, your hips thrown out behind? Start today, learning to walk as though someone were about to spank you - and watch those hips go back where they came from.

Your walk should be distinguished by it's lack of outstanding qualities. You don't want people to notice your posture, good or bad. You want them to see you. So correct the faults that attract attention and forget the rest.

Much the same rule applies to sitting. No one will wait to watch how gracefully you lower yourself into a chair. No one cares. But if you drop in a manner to frighten the owner of the chair, you will get plenty of attention. And if you insist on sitting either like a disapproving maiden aunt or a licentious Roman diner, people will notice you, too. But it won't be your charm they notice. the most prevalent and the ugliest of all sitting faults is the frog-leg squat- and squat is the only word. You know it. The feet are either together or apart, but the legs are widespread at the knees.

Learn to walk and sit in an apparently effortless, graceful manner. Then you can be sure you will have learned to carry yourself well."

Posture Highlights (1950)

Homework: Practice walking, sitting, and standing as you go about your daily routines.

2008-02-22T10:51:00.001-08:00

Finishing School: Personal Presentation...

by Emma

Health

When I was a teenager, I became enamored with the idea or femininity. I loved the forties and fifties and happened upon a book entitled Emily Hunter's Christian Charm Course. It was full of sweet little line drawings and outdated information and I LOVED it! One of my favorite parts of the book was a chart of feminine attributes and masculine attributes. Many of the points on the list had to do with health... something that I really never thought of as having to do with femininity. Here are a few samples from the list: A Trim and Disciplined Body, Vitality, Abstention from Tobacco, Abstention from Alcohol, Self Control, and Sexual Purity.

Though the list in it's entirety was rather quaint, one cannot help but realize that the points on Hunter's list that deal with the health of one's body are right on the mark.

While I don't claim to be someone with vast stores of knowledge on the subject of health or someone who exercises daily, guzzles water, pops vitamins, and swears off fast food, I can tell you that making painless changes in your daily routines can give you better health both inside and out!

One of the easiest ways to improve your health is to move more. I don't know about you, but I hate the idea of traditional exercise routines (going to the gym, aerobics videos, classes, etc.). I much prefer taking a walk, jumping rope, going for a swim, using my pedometer to count the steps or miles I take throughout the day, and bike riding. There are hundreds of ways you can add more movement into your day without breaking a sweat. As Nike says, Just Do It!

Another simple thing to add to your life that will improve your health is to drink more water. You probably don't drink enough! Often we don't even realize that we are dehydrated. Here are a few tricks you can use to help make sure you are getting enough water during the day: Have an 8 oz glass with every meal, fill a pitcher with ice water and try to get through it by the end of the day, keep a water bottle with you when you head out the door, each time you go into the kitchen try to remember to pour yourself a glass... you get the picture!

While many of us try to eat healthfully, we may be falling short just a bit. Talk to your doctor and decide if a multi-vitamin is something that will help to give you all the nutrients you need to keep fit and strong.

Eating well is a more complicated step in the quest for better health but there are several simple ways to ease the burden. One of the things that I have found the most helpful is to limit the time that I spend in the center aisles of the supermarket. If I can stick to the outer rim, I know that I am going through the produce section, meats, and dairy. I can often eliminate the process foods I used to toss into my cart with glee. A second way eliminate the temptation of unhealthy foods in our home to to simply stick to the list you make and not bring them home.

One of my favorite authors on the subject of health and eating is Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat and French Woman For All Seasons. The author's perspective on food and life is one that I admire greatly. I gleaned a great deal of information from her books and was particularly impressed with the Fifty Percent Solution, which she talks about in her second book, French Woman For All Seasons.

Please remember that it is important to speak with your doctor before embarking on any changes you make with regard to your health.

Homework: What healthy habit have you formed recently? How did you go about this?

2008-02-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

Monday, June 25

Finishing School: Personal Presentation...

by Emma

The Feminine Attitude

One of the more difficult aspects of becoming feminine in one's presentation is learning how to posses a feminine attitude. Aside from the fact that it is extremely hard to teach ourselves to be disciplined enough to remain feminine in all situations that may arise, we often find that our society looks down upon women who choose to be feminine. Women who truly want to be feminine must learn to celebrate their femininity without a thought what anyone thinks!

Before embarking on some practical ideas to encourage the development of a feminine attitude, I will go over some of the more obvious traits of a women in possession of a feminine attitude.

The first (and perhaps most important) trait of a feminine woman to be kind and compassionate. I certainly wouldn't characterize a woman as ladylike who cussed out a driver that cut her off (though I admit I have been guilty of that!) or who glared at someone that made a mistake. The image that comes to mind for me of a kind and compassionate woman is one who consistently tries to come to the aid of others whether they deserve it or not. She doesn't think twice about going out of her way to help out and relieve the burden for someone else.

Another trait of a woman with a feminine attitude is the discernment to know when it is right to stand up for herself, those she loves, or her beliefs. It is not a feminine trait to become a doormat (nor is it one to become egotistical... such a fine line!). She can easily cover the faults of others while still staying true to herself and all those she loves and believes in.

A feminine woman thinks before she speaks and remains controlled. There will be no screaming fits for her! However, we must remember that we can often remain very controlled on the outside and still be throwing a hissy fit on the inside. The trick (and one I doubt I'll be able to master) is to embody such a feminine spirit that even our minds and souls remained unruffled by difficult circumstances.

Possessing a feminine attitude is something that has to be learned and practiced... it cannot be purchased like well-fitting clothing, perfect make-up, or the right haircut. It must become ingrained within a woman through constant attention!

Often, the best way to learn how to become feminine in attitude is to look to a fine example of femininity for imitation. Though it seems like these examples are few and far between in our everyday life, they really aren't! One can find many books with characters that portray feminine grace and attitudes wonderfully. Another often overlooked way of studying femininity in action is through movies and television (mostly period ones). Watching a woman move gracefully, dress prettily, and act in a lovely manner on the screen makes it very easy to imitate and put into action what one sees! We are also very blessed to be living in a time when the Internet is so easy to obtain. There are multitudes of websites, blogs, and forums dedicated to encouraging femininity.

One of my favorite things to do I find myself reverting to an attitude that isn't even remotely feminine is to read The Wife by Washington Irving. It is a short story that perfectly illustrates what a blessing it is to possess a feminine attitude and what a joy that attitude is to others. If you have time, I encourage you to read it!

Homework: Tell us who is a wonderful example to you of feminine attitude and why. The person could be someone you know or even a character from a book or movie!

2007-11-05T20:26:00.001-08:00

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Live Well On Less: Reviving Furniture

Used wooden furniture is the frugal home's best friend. Here are a few easy ways to revive old furniture with a minimum of work and expense:

Clean it well. Try Murphy's Oil soap, Dawn detergent, and the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for mystery spots. Hose in the yard if necessary!

Wax wood furniture for a subtle glow. Many fine antique shops use Briwax to brighten patina.

Mix one part white paint and one part water and apply with a rag. Rub off as much as you desire for a translucent glaze similar to Swedish furniture.

Use soft greens for a natural look. Consider painting the interior of bookcases or cabinets a contrasting color.
To blend varying wood tones in one room, don't strip and stain all your furniture. Simply wipe a light wood piece with a darker stain like Walnut for a two-toned, French Country effect. This works best on furniture with details, molding, or carving.

Unite mismatched furniture with soft black paint. You will find the "antique black" finish in Pottery Barn catalogs, but the look is timeless.

Rub the edges of a painted finish for a subtle contrast.
Move a tired piece of furniture to a different room or an unexpected function. Cover with vintage linen or a square of burlap.

Add whimsy and color with acrylic craft paints (.97 cents at Walmart) protected with polyurethane.
Good colors for painted furniture include shades of white or cream, antique black, and soft greens.

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

Posted by Meredith at 12:56 PM

2007-11-05T20:25:00.001-08:00

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Live Well On Less: Secondhand Best Buys

My sofa was a wedding gift. Other than that, there is not a single furnishing in my home that was not bought secondhand!

True designers always incorporate items with age and from different sources. Even the Pottery Barn catalog displays pressed ferns and tobacco baskets among its new furniture!

Here's how designers find some of their fantastic pieces:
Pickers--people just like you and me--buy great-looking stuff at yard sales, auctions, and thrift stores. Pickers sell directly to a few dealers and designers--or, bring their wares to wholesale antique markets like Scott's in Atlanta. Antique dealers and designers all over the Southeast drive there to fill their shops back home. At that point, a lovely piece of furniture has been marked up as many as four times from its humble secondhand origin.

Here's a short list of what I consider some of the best buys in used furnishings--the things I stop and investigate whenever I see them cheap:

Custom-made draperies and hardware:
The fabric is usually expensive if someone has spent the money to have draperies custom-made, with trim, double linings, and weighted hems. Unlike ready made curtains, these are often the only way to find true floor-length panels. Use the voluminous yardage to cover tables, make pillows, or reuse hardware and trim for another project.

50's and 60's furniture:
The ubiquitous French Provincial and Modern furniture is usually made with real wood and dovetailed drawers. French Provincial has good grooves and molding for do-it-yourself glazers.

Real wood bookcases:
You can find sturdy bookcases for less than the cost of Sauder specials, and you don't have to put them together yourself. Paint them whatever color you wish, with contrasting interiors for interest. Link several bookcases together with molding across the top.

Lamps with character:
My favorite copper kitchen lamp cost $1.50. Unusual or antique lamps are elements which can lift a room from the ordinary Kirkland's variety.

One-of-a-kind pillows and artwork:
Look for the handmade touch and textures here--needlepoint, old tapestry, bark cloth.

Benches and chairs you can reupholster yourself:
Some chairs have seats which unscrew for recovering. An old remnant and a cup of paint can transform a plain chair in half an hour. Benches and pairs of chairs are extremely versatile.

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

3 comments:

Amy said...: Almost everything in our place is second hand as well, and it all adds so much character! New is not necessarily better. :)

One thing I wish people wouldn't rule out is sofas. Sure there are some bad ones, but we have three sofas (one 2 1/2 seater/sofa bed and two 2 seaters) all cramped in our place, but they're both so near new nobody would know! We've even been asked where we got them from! :)

The 2 1/2 seater/sofa bed I got from Ikea (where I used to work, years ago) from their Bargain Basement/Corner. It retailed new at more than $1600 and I got it for $200! So many people passed it buy thinking it was so cheap there had to be something wrong with it! There was nothing wrong with it, it had just been on display so after a wash of the covers and pillow cases it's now been with us for 6 years. :)

The other two sofas we got from friends who were moving back to another country and were wanting to get rid of their things - never be afraid to ask people who are moving for their things! I used to be, but I've now been given so many beautiful things by asking that I've learned the value! They had bought them new recently and when we visited I fell in love! They decided they were just going to give them to the first people who asked, and we did!

Anyway, that's enough of a novel, but never be afraid to get second hand sofas because usually there is nothing that a hand wash or cover won't fix! :)

2007-11-05T20:24:00.001-08:00

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Live Well On Less: Home Decoration

Is there anything more ladylike than concern for others? Our lives may reflect God's grace, but so often, our homes do not.

Perhaps you truly aren't affected by the way things look, but what about your family? Is your husband is longing for a handsome place to sit? Are your children's toys unwelcome in the living room? Providing an attractive, comfortable home is an extension of caring for others.

You can live well on less by creating an environment that makes others feel at home--on any budget.

Let's not talk about styles or even colors. Let's talk about the elements of beauty in the home, what some might call good taste. When we're dealing with a tight budget, we can't afford to buy junk.

Below, I had to sift through many ugly lamps to find this $11 pottery lamp.

The more an item costs, the more carefully you should scrutinize your options:
$100 at a consignment sale..."when will this item be reduced in price?"
$5 at a yard sale..."I will use it for now, and sell it when I find something better."
FREE..."Sure! I can make this work somehow!"

Appropriate vs. Tacky
Does the item suit its purpose? Is it there for show or function? We don't have room in our budgets (or our homes!) for looks alone. As much as I love the spirit of Emilie Barnes, I could never advise you to decorate an adult room with teddy bears!

The reading chair and ottoman was a splurge at $90, but its natural sheen and soft seat make the whole room cozy--and functional.
Genuine vs. Fake
It is always better to choose a real thing, even worn, over a reproduction.
An old Oriental rug adds richness that a polyester version can't. I would take bare wood floors over an ugly rug. Whenever possible, choose natural materials over synthetics--you can't fake the sense of touch.

The same applies to flowers. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but it would be better to paint your front door a rich glossy color than to hang a wreath of fake roses on it. You can buy gallons of expensive paints for $5 at Habitat Homestores or the Oops bin. Plant a six-pack of annual plants for $1.47 in pots on either side of your door. The yellow rattan chair-turned-pedestal was rescued from the curb.
Plain vs. Fancy
Simple forms mix better than highly ornamented furniture. The bigger the piece, the less pattern it should have, if only because this makes coordinating with other secondhand finds easy. My childhood windsor chair mixes with curbside chairs and a $5 coffee table.

Handmade vs. Mass Produced
Always choose the unique over something that came out of a box. Don't buy a print from Target when you can hang your children's artwork for free. Why? Handcrafted items pack more decorating punch. They look real.

How To Cut Your Decorating Budget Without Even Trying:
Don't buy accessories.
Make your functional objects beautiful, and you won't need to accessorize.

My advice may be contrarian, but it works. People always write to ask how I keep my home from looking cluttered. Now you know my secret! I may choose a pretty pitcher, but I would never buy a decorative figurine to sit on the kitchen counter.

The few accessories I keep have sentimental family value. My home gets most of its color and interest from books, art, plants, and functional beauty--all items which can be made, grown, or found with little cost. (We bought this French Country patterned lamp for $5.)

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

2007-11-05T20:23:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Live Well On Less: Good, Better, Best

Here's the irony of living well on less:

If you're a smart shopper, both the high and low ends of the price range can be the most alike in quality. The middle-road shoppers sometimes get the least value for their dollar--even when they shop at "everyday low price" stores.

I love it! By using creativity and effort, I can produce the highest quality product for less than the mediocre price.

Perhaps you want to landscape beds in your yard. The most expensive option would be to hire professionals to berm, edge, and mulch for you. The cost is high, but with a fine result.

The middle-road shopper might go to Home Depot and purchase $50 in decorative edging and mulch, then spend a Saturday installing the beds.

The low-budget landscaper might spend one day gathering free rocks and spend another Saturday installing the border.

The cheapest landscaper might take a flat-bladed shovel and dig a sharp trench, using mulch or compost for top dressing.

Which landscaper spent the least...and got the result most similar to the expensive job?

Here's a Raymond Waites designer frame. I saw it first in a catalog for $19. Then, I spotted the same frames at Dollar General. They still had Steinmart price tags inside, marked $11.99.

The Dollar General price was only $5. A few weeks later, they went on clearance for $2.50. Someone with more time than money could cover an old frame with leftover fabric.

This spring a friend and I admired the Siberian iris at a local garden. I priced plants at the nursery, but they cost at least $10 a pot. Walmart's bulbs ($3.97 a package) never came up at my old garden. This weekend I visited the last hour of the Iris Society sale. The volunteers were so nice, they sold me 8 of the full grown plants--$5 for the LOT.

These examples came from the last week alone. I'm sure you have your favorite stories of getting an expensive result for less. Keep your eyes open for quality, and the bargains will find you!

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

Posted by Meredith at 1:37 PM

2007-11-05T20:22:00.003-08:00

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Live Well On Less: Purchasing

Thrift need not be grim.

In fact, thrift should be anything but grim. A small budget demands that everyday life include color, beauty, fun. Perhaps even the occasional Aldi bouquet!

Will you have to work harder to create what others can simply buy? Yes.
Is it worth your effort? Absolutely.
Thoughtful purchases can add to our quality of life--regardless of price.

Remember a special meal--one that was as pleasing to the eye as it was satisfying to the palate. Imagine how much more you would have enjoyed that meal if it cost less than $5--or if it were free, from your own garden. How much more could you savor the experience if you knew there would be no credit card bill at the end of the month?

Living well on less means having the freedom to enjoy small pleasures. The tighter the budget, the more thoughtful our purchases must be. The pie may be small, but each slice can be delicious if we cut it with care.
*Consider what you really need. Eliminating wants is cheaper than finding bargains.

*Make your dollars align with your values. Refuse junk.

*Find the best quality for your money and time, whether that means making it yourself or buying secondhand.

*Anticipated needs are easier to fill on a budget than immediate needs. Spend a little now to save a lot later.

Are you intimidated by thrift? Frugality is not absolute. Start wherever you are...and then spend one level less! Challenge yourself to downscale further, or stop where your budget feels comfortable.

Cable--->network TV + Netflix--->network TV--->library DVDs
Furniture stores--->consignment shops--->thrift stores--->yard sales--->hand-me-downs
Professional caterer--->Sam's Club cake and deli trays--->made-from-scratch party menu
Stonewall Kitchens preserves--->Polaner all-fruit--->Bama jelly--->homemade jam

Today's assignment: Think of one product or service you routinely purchase, and find a way to spend one level less.

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

Posted by Meredith at 12:23 PM

2007-11-05T20:22:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Live Well On Less: Managing Servants

Oh, I wish!

You've read the analogies which liken the Proverbs 31 woman's servants to our modern gadgetry.

Somehow, my washing machine is still not the same as a crisply aproned housekeeper!

Yet, timesaving appliances do help us live well on less, by making scratch cooking convenient and big chores do-able by the average family.

Just for fun, let's apply The Amy Vanderbilt Book of Etiquette's chapter on domestic help to our household tools:

"The interview--the surest way of finding the right person is through word-of-mouth references."

Borrow a friend's new gadget before investing in one of your own.
Read reviews on Epinions or Amazon.

"Her quarters should be shown and discussed."

Make sure you have room for a new gadget.
You'll work just as much if it eats up all your work space.

"An employee does not train herself."

Buying a new appliance will not save you money.
Using your appliances saves you money.

"Do a time study on your housekeeper, if she says she is overworked."

Constantly re-evaluate your resources at hand.
Consider picking up a second crockpot, arranging the freezer for more efficient air flow, or hanging the comforter in the sun instead of drying it for an hour.

"If you wish her...out of the house at once, ask her to pack up and leave immediately."

Don't hesitate to get rid of a dust-gathering appliance, even if it was an expensive gift.
An empty counter is more valuable than most equipment.
Sell it on Craig's List, Freecycle it, or bless a friend.

It's easy to find great appliances, secondhand! Here are some posts which show how my servants enrich my life at home--for pennies on the dollar:
---Bread machine conquers my dough-phobia.
---Food processor shreds cabbage and chops nuts for crust in a snap.
---Clean your oven with a shop vac.
---A used Kitchenaid mixer gave me the strength to bake 26 dozen muffins.
---Two wafflemakers and a Waring blender whip up cheap whole grain breakfasts.
---Crock pot chili prevents fast food spending.
---The Rowenta iron made me love the smell of starch in the morning.
...not to mention the other gadgets I haven't praised yet--our Wahl home hair clipper, the coffeemaker that fits in the cabinet, the $5 Oreck vacuum, and more.

What is your favorite "domestic helper," and how does it save you money?

2007-11-05T20:21:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Note

It's difficult to organize a lifetime's opinions on frugality into five easy lessons! Each reader has different experiences and comfort levels, impossible to address individually.

I will be presenting how to live well on less from my unique perspective. To do this, I will gloss over some of the basics while showing examples from my own life. You don't need to copy what I do (or even agree)--just interpret with your own resources and creativity.

At the end of the week, I will provide a bibliography of sources which have taught and/or inspired me in my pursuit of cheerful frugality.

2007-11-05T20:20:00.001-08:00

Monday, July 23, 2007

Live Well On Less: Breakfast

Living well on less begins before you ever clip a coupon.
The scene: a typical breakfast counter (mine!), with spilled cereal, a jug of milk, and all the extras on the table.

It took me less than two minutes to add beauty to our morning, using containers I already have.

The food is the same...but the meal is not. An attractive table is time well spent.

Removing the wrappers from the table is a simple way to introduce generic brands to your family.

Using your own containers lets you take advantage of bulk packaging and its cheaper price-per-ounce.

Or, take your budget to the next level by making your own yogurt, powdered milk, and jam.

No serving pieces? Improvise!

Substitute a pretty saucer for a butter dish, a tiny cup for jam. Yard sales are a great way to find odd serving pieces. The creamer (which I use for syrup) cost a quarter; mismatched butter knives and jelly spoons cost a quarter or less.

2007-11-05T20:19:00.001-08:00

Monday, July 23, 2007

Live Well On Less: Starting Small

Before we dive into budgeting and decorating, let's start small. You can live well on less by taking care of the details.

Today, let's discuss the little things that can make home life so comfortable without costing a dime:

Small moments are ideas that you can do with 5 minutes of extra time.
Small touches are details only you may notice, but contibute to a sense of beauty.
Small spending are projects that don't require a trip to Michaels for supplies.

Use small moments on the telephone to fold dish cloths into pretty layers. They are just as easy to grab as paper towels. My stash of yard sale hair bows keeps growing. A small moment hunting in a closet produced an old ribbon belt and a nail for hanging. Much better!

Can you make something more attractive by using something from your cupboards? If your husband unpacks his pockets each day, give him an odd salad bowl or wood box for the contents. He may not notice, but you will.

Here's another small touch of beauty. Fine hotels place paper doilies at the bottom of wastepaper baskets. If you don't have any doilies, cut a few of your own using children's old sketches and scalloped scissors. A dampened doily lets you know when to wash the container.

Small spending encourages you to find solutions with what you already own. The baby loves to stir this palm's soil, but I didn't want to buy moss at a craft store. These rocks, gathered on a fishing trip, add a touch of color. Pinecones, shells, or sprigs of ivy to root would be just as unique.
What small touches make your home a more gracious place to live?

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

Posted by Meredith at 11:36 AM

2007-11-05T20:17:00.001-08:00

Friday, July 27, 2007

Live Well On Less: A Bibliography

Below are books which have contributed to my understanding and practice of cheerful frugality. I have linked to Amazon for ease, but you will check your library catalog before ordering...right?

This list is by no means complete. I read many of these titles simply because they were in my local library's collection. I am placing a star by my top favorites. You can also find additional book reviews by clicking on the "library bag" category on the sidebar.

Saving Money:
The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn*
Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom by Stephanie Nelson*
Shop, Save, and Share, How To Save Money Every Day,Half Price Livingby Ellie Kay*
Miserly Moms, Frugal Families, andMiserly Mealsby Jonni McCoy
Mega Cookingby Jill Bond*
How To Survive Without A Salaryby Charles Long*
The Complete Cheapskateby Mary Hunt
Yankee Magazine Living Well On A Shoestring
Frugal Luxuries and Frugal Luxuries By The Seasonsby Tracey McBride*
Living Well On One Income In A Two Income World by Cynthia Yates
Raising Kids On Just A Little Cash by Lisa Reid
Downsized But Not Defeated by Quinn and Miller-Lachman
Saving Money Any Way You Can by Mike Yorkey
Living Cheaply With Style by Ernest Callenbach

Money Management Philosophy:
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey*
The Millionaire Next Door and other books by Thomas Stanley*
The Overspent American and other research by Juliet Schor*
Consumer and real estate guides by Clark Howard
Debt-Free Living by Larry Burkett

Homemaking and Decorating:
Design books by Alexandra Stoddard*
Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer*
Scaling Down: Living Large In A Smaller Space by Judi Culbertson and Marj Decker
Use What You Have Decorating series by Lauri Ward*
Homemaking books by Emilie Barnes
Mrs. Greenthumbs gardening books by Cassandra Dantz
House Thinking by Winifred Gallagher
Budget Living's Home Cheap Home

Simplicity and Contentment:
The Circle of Simplicity: Return To The Good Lifeby Cecile Andrews
Home Sweeter Home: Creating A Haven Of Simplicity And Spirit by Jann Mitchell
The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs
A Simple Choice: Practical Guide For Saving Time, Money, and Sanity by Deborah Taylor-Hough*
Simple Abundance by Sara Ban Breathnach
Celebrate Simply by Nancy Twigg
Six Weeks To A Simpler Lifestyle by Barbara Degrote-Sorenson
Your Money Or Your Lifeby Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

Secondhand Shopping:
Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money by Allison Houtte
Secondhand Chic by Christa Weil
The Rummager's Handbook by R.S. McClurg

Free online texts:
I collect old homemaking books, so I wanted to include some vintage titles that everyone could read. I have not read all these completely yet.
The Next-To-Nothing House*
The Furnishing of a Modest Home
Adventures In Thrift
Thrift In The Household (*especially its definition of thrift)
The Honest House

Today's assignment: check your library for books that will encourage you to live well on less. This subject can be hard to find, as it overlaps several categories. Periodically, I search the online catalog using the following keywords:

thrift(y) * budget * saving * frugal * simple * less * recycling * reuse * consumer * green * secondhand * home * homemaking * home economics * stewardship * sustainability * poverty

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

Posted by Meredith at 8:01 AM

2007-11-05T20:15:00.001-08:00

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Live Well On Less: Finishing Touches

I didn't want to end our study without giving you a few traditionally feminine examples. Consider these ideas the finishing touches of our Ladies' Finishing School lesson!

Pile the week's cookbooks in a basket and sit outdoors for menu planning while the children play. Find all the baskets you could ever want at yard sales.

Prop open a pretty book for decoration. Wooden display stands are easy to pick up for $1 or less.

Disguise a plastic pot with a damaged basket for a more natural look. This one came from the curb.

Line a bin with an old tea towel or napkin. Spots don't matter when only the edge shows.

Stretch the life of an aging bouquet by separating and cutting the stems into new containers.

Cover the torn back of a chair with a neatly tucked throw or hemmed fabric remnant. Paisley is always handsome against leather.

Transform your odd stemmed glasses into pedestal serving pieces. China works well, but glass is prettiest.

Use double-sided clear tape, sticky putty, or a piece of rubber rug gripper to secure the plate to the glass.

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

2007-11-05T20:14:00.001-08:00

Friday, July 27, 2007

How To Live Well On Less

I would like to thank all our readers who participated in this week's course! Your comments truly enriched our study.

If you're new to Like Merchant Ships, please visit again for budget-friendly ideas and inspiration.

The Ladies' Finishing School will continue at The Merry Rose and Charming The Birds From The Trees. If you're just now joining us, below are links to each of our lessons on how to live well on less:

Introduction
Lesson 1: Start Small * Begin With Breakfast * Note
Lesson 2: Budgets * Managing Servants
Lesson 3: Purchasing * Good, Better, Best
Lesson 4: Home Decoration * Best Buys * Reviving Furniture
Lesson 5: Finishing Touches * Frugal Bibliography

2007-11-05T20:12:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Live Well On Less: Budgets

A proper finishing school would have included instruction on managing the household budget and domestic staff. (We'll get to the servants later!)
So many experts today provide financial advice, I didn't know where to begin our lesson.

Instead, I thought I'd give you a peek inside my handbag. Its contents can make or break the household budget:

Do you know where your money goes?

Have you ever paid with a credit card because your cash was floating in a layer of crumpled receipts, disposable diapers, and school papers? You're not alone.

Now we use Dave Ramsey's no credit method--we pay cash for our daily purchases. Spending cash registers in your brain in a way that swiping plastic does not.

I think Dave would be pleased that I bought his Financial Peace envelope system at a yard sale! Before that, I used free money envelopes from our bank. We withdraw cash and sort it into envelopes for groceries, entertainment, car, clothing and so on. When the envelope is empty, the spending is done. Leftover money adds to the next month's total.

Two exceptions: we pay bills online (no stamps), and I pay at the gas pump with a debit card.

Change goes into a coin purse for yard sales, perhaps the only place left where a quarter can buy something of value!

My wallet holds other important tools:

a calculator, so I can figure the lowest unit prices at the grocery
store loyalty cards for every grocery nearby
membership cards to the zoo and museum
Smart Card and other discount cards from the Farm Bureau, etc.
zippered pocket to hold EVERY receipt, which I enter in Quicken later
"wish list" of needs and sizes which may jog my memory while thrift shopping
tape measure for used furniture and building supplies
pay-as-you-go Tracfone, minutes for which I buy discounted on Ebay, is the modern equivalent of coins for the phone booth
stamps, so no bills or thank-you-notes are forgotten
one hidden credit card, only to be used in travel emergencies

My handbag holds everything I need for saving money at the grocery store:

A watch lets me know when I'm taking too long--extra minutes shopping means extra money spent!

My grocery list is always based on what's on sale that week. I read the grocery ads online and plan my menu from the ads--not the other way around. I only buy groceries on sale, and if possible, buy enough to last until the next sale.

My simple coupon file holds the "best deal" coupons of the week I clip according to the Coupon Mom's Cut Out Hunger site. Her FREE online chart helps you figure out which coupons to cut for each week's grocery ads.

Today's assignment: organize your handbag--and organize your budget! If your money is out of control, take a week and write down every penny you spend.

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!

2007-11-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

Monday, July 23, 2007

Ladies' Finishing School: Living Well On Less

I was so flattered when Elizabeth and Emma asked me to contribute a week's worth of lessons for their Online Finishing School.

Later, my cheeks burned with embarassment.

After all, I don't live an elegant life. I'm a mom wearing elastic waist pants and a thin layer of Cheerio dust. I never attended cotillion classes, pledged a sorority, or had a fitting for a designer wedding dress.

Yet, I've learned a lot about gracious living in the 8 years I've been married--and done so on one income. I've made a hobby of studying what Martha Stewart calls "good things" and Alexandra Stoddard terms "grace notes." I've tried to translate their love of beauty into my tiny budget, using creativity, secondhand resources, and God's amazing ability to provide.

You know what? It works. So join me at Like Merchant Ships this week, where we'll be discussing how to live well on less.

New to Like Merchant Ships? Here are all the lessons in our Live Well On Less week of study!