Eureka!

I'm very excited to announce this as my very first blog entry EVER! I must admit that I tend to be on the late side of adopting the newest technological trend (for example, when my mother explained to me last May that I was the LAST person on this planet to get text messaging and it was just no longer acceptable to be without it). Nevertheless, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this new beginning as an etiquette and social blogger!

The purpose of this site is to serve as a pathway to that moment where you're standing in your kitchen, the heavens open up, and you shout, "Eureka! By George, it's a fish fork, not a back scratcher!"

After leaving the White House in January 2009, I don't think I truly comprehended how MUCH I learned about the art of etiquette. And, to be clear, it is truly a learned ART, one that takes practice, study, and implementation. I think a good place to start is with a simple definition (as defined by Dictionary.com) of etiquette:

et·i·quette [et-i-kit, -ket] –noun
1.conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.
2.a prescribed or accepted code of usage in matters of ceremony, as at a court or in official or other formal observances.
3.the code of ethical behavior regarding professional practice or action among the members of a profession in their dealings with each other.

After numerous phone calls from friends and family with questions like, "how much is appropriate to tip vendors?" and "should the woman's name or the man's name be listed first in written correspondence?", I thought, Hmmmm....maybe I've got something to offer here.

I've come to realize how many people keep trying to uncover these "conventional requirements" and "codes" only to find that the more they research, the more exceptions to every rule are found (and good grief, there are a lot of rules!!!). I think by answering the most basic etiquette questions, such as how to address an envelope, what's the correct salutation for a letter, what is an escort card and when is it used, on which side of the plate is the knife placed, etc., we can shed some light on the history and culture of humanity itself.

I hope to provide you, dear reader, with functional tips for the social questioner, as well as a forum for discussion and inquiry (if I don't know the answer, I'll pull something out of my "polite pocket" and figure it out)!

And remember, the purpose of good etiquette and manners is to make other people feel comfortable, secure, and just plain loved (don't you just LOVE people who make you feel that way?!?!).

Stay tuned and thanks for reading!