Alliance Francaise of Oklahoma City sponsors Children’s Chorale
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The children perform one of the songs during the Children’s Chorale program. (Photo by Jim Beckel.)
Alliance Francaise of Oklahoma City members sponsored a Children’s Chorale program at Westminster School’s Lower Division Activity Center.
Singers were mostly from local pre-school, elementary, middle schools and there were several high school students. Jassie Zaidi and Julie France performed “Silent Night” as a duet with guitars.
A reception followed the program.
The 23 children met in the home of Barbara and Ralph Thompson to practice and to learn and sing French Christmas carols.
20-40-60 Etiquette—Sorry for your loss?
YOU ASK! WE ANSWER! YOU DECIDE!
Question: I recently saw an acquaintance that had lost her husband nine months ago. I had not seen her to talk to her and so I expressed my condolences. She started crying. Should I have not mentioned her loss or what is appropriate?
CALLIE’S ANSWER: Obviously, it didn’t turn out how you thought it would. When you give your condolences you should know that this might occur. If you cannot handle this, then I would not say anything.
It is very nice of you, though, because it means that you care. I am sure if you are on the other side it would be different, although I have never been in this situation. Each person and situation is very different. Take that into account.
LILLIE-BETH’S ANSWER: This is highly personal, but just because your friends started crying, does not mean you were wrong in saying something about her husband. It sounds like you were concerned about her and wanted to let her know you were thinking about her.
To me, that is gracious and kind, which is basically what good etiquette is anyway. Once you say you’re sorry for a loss, take the cue from your friend’s reaction. If the person starts crying, offer a hug. If they cut off the conversation, then drop it and move onto something else. If they want to talk, let them. Just as I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to grieve a loss, there isn’t perfect way to show someone you care.
HELEN’S ANSWER: It is always appropriate to communicate your sadness about a loss…whether it is the next day or the next year. However, the condolences can be made in private, so that if the feelings are very tender, that the person you are talking to can respond in whatever manner she wishes.
It is extremely hard for us to talk about death, but your acquaintance’s loss was a reality and a simple “I am sorry about the loss of your husband” is just fine.
GUEST’S ANSWER: Hilarie Blaney, Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant: You certainly did the right thing by acknowledging the deceased spouse. Take your cues from the bereaved person. You could give comfort to this grieving acquaintance by validating her feelings. What to say is sometimes awkward and we tend to babble, offer advice, give spiritual cliches such as “he is in a better place”, finding “lessons” in a tragedy and being an empathizer.
Rather, let’s let the friend tell her story, ask her to lunch or dinner or give her a call in a week to check on her if you are interested in having a deeper friendship. If not, you acknowledged her spouse and did the appropriate thing in my opinion.
Callie Gordon, a college junior, was an Oklahoma City 2009 debutante. Lillie-Beth Brinkman is a former debutante and currently the assistant features editor for The Oklahoman. Helen Wallace has written a social column for The Oklahoman for many years and has been on various local Ball committees. Guest Hilarie Blaney is an Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant.
This group does not always agree (via age differences), but they ALL see the need for proper behavior.
Ask a specific etiquette question and you will get three answers…Then you decide for yourself how you would handle the situation. The answers have information for every age range….Callie is 20-ish; Lillie-Beth is 40-something, and Helen is 60-plus.
Please email us with your questions and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and daily blogs. We will try to answer your etiquette questions weekly on the Parties Extra! blog.
Sometimes we will ask other people for their opinions.
Look for us!
E-mail us! helen.wallace@cox.net …lbrinkman@opubco.com… calliezok3@aol.com
Lakehurst neighborhood is scene for tour and holiday event
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Rachael and Nelson Bolen were hosts for the party after the Lakehurst neighborhood home tours. (Photos by Helen Ford Wallace).
Five holiday- decorated homes were opened in Lakehurst for a resident’s only tour. A party in the home of Rachel and Nelson Bolen followed the 3 until 5 p.m. tour. He is president of the Lakehurst Home Owners Association.
Kacky and Michael Shelley, Candy Dulaney, Shannon and Michael Love, Jan and Chris Condren and the Bolens showed their homes for the holiday tour.
The Bolen’s home had decorations in all of the rooms. In the kitchen was a large vase of ornaments in a glass vase topped with silver branches of balls. Colorful Christmas trees flanked it. Blue and white and silver glass trees on a tray decorated the other rooms and the trees outside featured blue and green lights.
Among the people at the party were Bette and Jim MacKellar, Megan and Court Roueche, Leah and Sean Strickland, Whitney and Sean Schones, Chelsea Richardson, Sarah and Michael McFadden, Janet and Gordon Green, Susan and Carl Edwards, Gayla and Mark Kelly, Cathy and David Hickman, Carolyn and Bill Strecker, Jana and Allen Staples, Nancy and Jerry Williams, Marjean and CharlieTowe, SoRelle Fitzgerald, Janie and Bill Comstock and Susan Moorman.
Candy Dulaney and Diane Ferguson were at the party. Dulaney’s home was on the tour.
Anne and Barry Gray and Janie and Bill Comstock enjoy the event.
Plans were shown for purposed new entryways into the neighborhood area.
Jane Jayroe honored at book signing
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Kirk Hammons, Nancy Ellis, Jane Jayroe, Judy Love, Brenda McDaniel enjoy the party in the Love home for Jayroe. (Photo by David Faytinger).
A come- and- go party in the home of Judy and Tom Love honored book author Jane Jayroe. She autographed her new book “Devote 40 Days” by Jane Jayroe and Faith-Filled Friends.
Co-hostesses were Brenda McDaniel, Love, Kirk Hammons and Nancy Ellis. McDaniel, Love and Ellis were also contributing authors. The book has devotional articles by Jane and short stories from 27 other women.
At the party were LaDonna Meinders, Jane Thompson, Charlotte Lankard, Barbara Green, Susan Chambers, Kay Murcer, Lori Hansen, Donna Nigh, Debra Mitchell, Lolly Anderson, Donna Lawrence. Bobbie Roe, Karen Waddell, Prudy Gorrell, Betty Catching, Justice Yvonne Kauger, Rev. Linda Brinkworth and Lisa Boone.
Book proceeds for the day (she sold 500 books) went to Oklahoma City University. The book comes out in bookstores at the end of January and is available online now on Jane’s web site (janejayroe.com).
20-40-60 Etiquette: Socks, Leggings, Tights or Pantyhose?
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YOU ASK! WE ANSWER! YOU DECIDE!
QUESTION: Are women tired of wearing hose? Most women I know are bare legged, except in the wintertime, when they must wear socks or tights to keep warm. Is there a real trend to shoes, no socks? How about black pantyhose? In or out? What is proper etiquette?
CALLIE’S ANSWER: Proper etiquette of pantyhose? I don’t think I have heard that term unless from an older woman. No offense.
For what is in style, tights and leggings are a must during the wintertime. They can be dressed up (tights) or down (leggings).
Socks, yes women do still wear them, but depending on what shoe.
A big trend right now is socks and heels. For this trend your socks cannot be too bulky, and your shoes cannot be too fancy. Always keep your outfit fun and casual! A high sock, no, unless you are young and can pull it off with the right outfit; remember you are not Brittney Spears. Dress for your age and body type.
LILLIE-BETH’S ANSWER: I haven’t worn hose in a long time, but thinking through this answer made me think about going back to them, at least to try them out again. I skipped this fashion “accessory” when I left work years ago to stay home with children and now that I’ve returned, have yet to add it to my getting-ready routine.
It’s very freeing not to have hose constricting your legs. But now that I’m back in the workforce, I don’t have any reason not to try again, especially since there are so many fun patterns and colors. Tights keep your legs warm, but I think hose can work with the right outfit and shoes (definitely not sandals).
HELEN’S ANSWER: Women are still wearing hose for a put-together look and for covering legs with bad veins and blemishes. Textured leg wear and textured tights and sheer black hose never went out of style, not even in the bare legs era. But, the young girls look great with their bare legs. I am jealous.
Sometimes a nude stocking is the most flattering choice, even though some fashion experts say to wear patterns in nude-colored hosiery. I think some people opt for a nude hose that is really opaque color and they don’t look right. They should be wearing a sheer nude that matches the skin tone. Nude color is meant to be nude, not obvious, and for the older woman the right nude color can improve the looks of her leg.
GUEST’S ANSWER: Linda Miller, Fashion Editor for The Oklahoman and Mood: The fashion industry embraced bare legs years ago, and most women happily followed. They were tired of the expense, runs, snags and hosiery shades that looked fake or frumpy.
Certainly, pantyhose can camouflage less-than-perfect legs, but there are other options. In winter, opaque or patterned tights and trouser socks are a stylish and functional choice. So are sheer black patterned hose. Yes, hose. Take your pick from dots, lace, stripes, crystal accents or a retro-style back seam. Channel your best “Mad Men” character. Hosiery seems to be gaining a toehold again as the finishing touch for a polished look, at least in winter.
When Oklahoma temperatures heat up, bare legs beat out pantyhose almost all the time. It’s just too hot. Style experts suggest slathering on a moisturizer with bronzing properties for a natural glow. Hide spider or varicose veins with a product such as Dermablend Leg & Body Cover Foundation. Or consider patterned nude hosiery. Nude fishnets are pretty cool.
Women who feel better in pantyhose all year should opt for a super sheer style in nude or off black.
Callie Gordon, a college junior, was an Oklahoma City 2009 debutante. Lillie-Beth Brinkman is a former debutante and currently the assistant features editor for The Oklahoman. Helen Wallace has written a social column for The Oklahoman for many years and has been on various local Ball committees. Guest Linda Miller is The Oklahoman’s Fashion Editor.
This group does not always agree (via age differences), but they ALL see the need for proper behavior.
Ask a specific etiquette question and you will get three answers…Then you decide for yourself how you would handle the situation. The answers have information for every age range….Callie is 20-ish; Lillie-Beth is 40-something, and Helen is 60-plus.
Please email us with your questions and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and daily blogs. We will try to answer your etiquette questions weekly on the Parties Extra! blog.
Sometimes we will ask other people for their opinions.
Look for us!
helen.wallace@cox.net …lbrinkman@opubco.com… calliezok3@aol.com
For a Merry Christmas, I wish you…..
“A LITTLE SMILE, A WORD OF CHEER,
A BIT OF LOVE FROM SOMEONE NEAR,
A LITTLE GIFT FROM ONE HELD DEAR,
BEST WISHES FOR THE COMING YEAR!” (FROM JOSE FREEDE’S CHRISTMAS CARD!)
…SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CARDS!
…DOUBLE RAINBOWS!
…OUTSTANDING PARTIES!
…YUMMY COOKIES!
…GLOWING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!
…COLORFUL BALLOONS!
…GOOD TIMES WITH FRIENDS!
…GOOD TIMES WITH NEW FRIENDS!
…GOOD FRIENDS!
…LOVELY WEDDINGS!
….GORGEOUS FLOWERS!
…LOTS OF CANDY!
…BEAUTIFUL VIEWS!
…CLEAR, COLD MOUNTAIN WATER!
click here for ….20-40-60 Etiquette
…GOOD MANNERS!
…NEW IDEAS!
…HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
…JOLLY SHOPPING!
…MARVELOUS COOKING!
…FOOD FOR THE TABLE!
.
…TOE TAPPING MUSIC!
…NEW BABIES!
…EXCELLENT FOOTBALL WATCHING!
…INTERESTING READING!
…CREATIVE COCKTAILS/GOOD CHEER!
click here for….http://www.partygalaxy.com/
…FABULOUS PARTY SUPPLIES!
… LOVING FAMILIES!
…WONDERFUL RELATIVES!
click here for KEEPING THE FAITH BY ROBERT HAYES JR.
…A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS SEASON!
MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
HELEN FORD WALLACE
THE OKLAHOMAN
NEWSOK
(Photos by Me)
Parties Extra! Jamie’s at Casady Square
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Jamie Gaddis from Jamie’s Catering in Casady Square talks on Parties Extra! about the holiday season.
20-40-60 Etiquette…Text or Call?
YOU ASK! WE ANSWER! YOU DECIDE!
QUESTION: Is it OK for a guy to text you to ask you out on a date? When should you pick up the phone and actually call?
CALLIE’S ANSWER: ALWAYS pick up the phone and actually call. You’re asking someone out for a date! There is a time and a place to text someone. Texting is so easy, but not very personal. Be a man and pick up the phone! Leave a message if he/she doesn’t answer.
LILLIE-BETH’S ANSWER: Text messaging is a great tool for conveying information quickly to someone with whom you already have a relationship. It is not a substitute for real communication, although it has some advantages. For one, it’s easy and a fun way to flirt and connect briefly with a boyfriend or girlfriend during busy days.
However, with texting, as in e-mail, people don’t always pick up on the same tone, humor, sarcasm or meaning that you intend. Also, texting can be a barrier to a true relationship by making you feel like you have one when really all you have are words and short sentences being sent back and forth between unseen people.
Deborrah Cooper, the dating expert and online advice columnist for the San Francisco Examiner, contends that setting up a date via text “is bogus.”
“Have the courage to speak up and risk rejection like a big boy or girl,” Cooper wrote. “One of the top qualities singles seek is a confident partner that goes after what he or she wants.”
HELEN’S ANSWER: Call your date! Unless you are so creative that your text message would be so outstanding that he/she would never refuse the opportunity to go out with you.
Seriously, the all- important communication for getting together for a date and/or relationship should be by phone. And I think the reason for that argument is that every time you talk to someone you learn a little more about that person and if you are texting, the opportunity for getting to know him better is not there. If he/she does text you, then you could pick up the phone and call him/her back to answer. Person to person by telephone is much more friendly and intimate.
Texting in the dating arena can be used to verify time or for short messages or after you know the person better.
GUEST’S ANSWER: Heather Warlick-Moore, Mood Publication Editor: The answer depends on a few factors: your ages, how well you know each other, whether the text is for a first date and how shy the asker outer
is. If you’re a teen, it’s perfectly OK, and these days, practically expected for a guy (or girl) to ask someone out by text. That’s how boys and girls flirt these days.
If you’re an adult, over 25 or so, you’re not part of “generation textaholoic” (a term I just coined!), but there are still times that texting for a date is acceptable. For example, if you and a certain someone have been flirting by text and rarely see each other or talk on the phone, go ahead and text for that first date. But if you do see the person regularly, it seems like a bit of a cop out.
And if you’re so shy, you can’t do it any other way, than go ahead. In the past, I have been asked out numerous times by email and there’s really not much difference between the two electronic communication forms but I think it just makes a much better impression to ask someone out in person or at least, by phone.
Callie Gordon, a college junior, was an Oklahoma City 2009 debutante. Lillie-Beth Brinkman is a former debutante and currently the assistant features editor for The Oklahoman. Helen Wallace has written a social column for The Oklahoman for many years and has been on various local Ball committees. Guest Heather Warlick-Moore is Mood Publications Editor.
This group does not always agree (via age differences), but they ALL see the need for proper behavior.
Ask a specific etiquette question and you will get three answers…Then you decide for yourself how you would handle the situation. The answers have information for every age range….Callie is 20-ish; Lillie-Beth is 40-something, and Helen is 60-plus.
Please email us with your questions and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and daily blogs. We will try to answer your etiquette questions weekly on the Parties Extra! blog.
Sometimes we will ask other people for their opinions.
Look for us!
helen.wallace@cox.net …lbrinkman@opubco.com… calliezok3@aol.com
Guests at reception enjoy the boats and sparkling lights at the Holiday River Parade
Karen Black, Harper and Leslie Husbands were at the Holiday River Parade. (Photos by David Faytinger).
A reception was held in the new Devon Boathouse during the Devon Energy Holiday River Parade on the Oklahoma River.
Sponsors and guests enjoyed the parade inside the boathouse and outside on the viewing deck as everyone had a exceptional look at the fireworks and the lighted- up holiday boats. Hot chocolate, coffee, beer, wine and appetizers were served to the guests, and they also got the best view of the boat with Santa and the reindeer.
For the parade there were awards presented including the Mayor’s Award: David’s Sports Center; Grand Marshal’s Award: Terry Townsend and family; Parade Chairman’s Award: David Ecker and family. Other awards in the corporate category: Devon Energy’s River Cruiser Pioneer, first; River Parade Presenting Sponsors River Cruiser Explorer, second, and Homsey Law Firm River Cruiser Discovery, third. Individual/small business category: Dewayne Harman, first; Tom Wood, second, and David and Jody Patton, third. Non-profit category: Downtown Rotary Club, first; Quail Creek Neighborhood Association, second, and Boat House District, third.
Mike and Nancy O’Neal, Montine and Jay Jones enjoy watching the Holiday River Parade.
Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club members have holiday event
Tim and Susan Love, Karen and Pete Delaney enjoy the party at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. (Photo by David Faytinger).
Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club members met for a holiday event. Chef Michael Powell provided all of the Club’s best holiday foods for the party including scallops and crab cakes cooked to order, hand carved prime beef, gourmet panini sandwiches and brandied flambé lobster.
There was an ice liquid nitrogen ice cream station serving flavors of bourbon caramel apple and chocolate espresso ice cream.
Other desserts included toffee, pralines, rum balls, the Club’s classic pecan kisses, homemade Linzer cookies, Mexican wedding cookies and ginger snaps and the very popular club’s Brandy Ices.
Ice carvings were used in decorating including ice columns with lighted lamps, a reindeer with LED lighting and a North star. There was also a popcorn machine.
