and is a throwback to the days when many aspects of formal entertaining were done in French. While the French-ness of “R.s.v.p” (note the periods between each letter – that is the correct usage) may be outmoded, the concept is not. There seems to be an epidemic today of people not responding to invitations. This is rude! How is your host supposed to know how much liquor to buy? With this in mind, here is a quick breakdown of when […]
Last week, President and Mrs. Obama hosted a reception in honor of Ford’s Theatre, the historic theatre used for various stage performances beginning in the 1860s, and the site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. I’m posting some photos from the White House reception, to illustrate the level of detail that goes into the planning of a really good party. That extra bit of ivy tucked into the flower arrangements, the careful placement of the canapés on the silver […]
Many people I meet seem to have an unquenchable curiosity about life in the White House. They ask what it was really like to be around the President and First Lady, what I wore, how I learned about Protocol, how the menus were created, what the best party was – though more often than not they want to hear about the worst party. (Who doesn’t love a good party disaster story?) So let’s dip into the full White House experience, […]
