Beauty, Charm & Style

So last weekend was awesome. Partied like a rockstar. Hit up a few bars.  Danced with my ladies. And I took a whole a whole bunch of pictures and after every camera flash, someone would enevitably yell out, “FACEBOOK PIC!”

So as I go through the 187 pictures I took in those three, blurry hours of nighlife, I know I will have to sort through the good ones, the explicit ones and the ones where some of my girls don’t look their best.

And that brings me to a little advice on Facebook etiquette for tagging photos.

1. Resist the temptation to post every last photo from your birthday party on Facebook, particularly images that may cast your guests in an unflattering light.
2. Tag lightly. The people in a picture might not object to its being online as long as their names are not associated with it.
3. It is no breach of etiquette to untag yourself from any photograph. But it is permanent.

And remember – become a fan of BeautyCharm&Style on facebook.

So, you are invited to a dinner party.  These are 5 rules to live or die by when dining. Don’t mess this one up.

1. Once seated, unfold your napkin and use it for occasionally wiping your lips or fingers. At the end of dinner, leave the napkin tidily on the place setting.
2. If the food presented to you is not to your liking, it is polite to at least make some attempt to eat a small amount of it. Or at the very least, cut it up a little, and move it around the plate!
3. Should a lady wish to be excused for the bathroom, it is polite for the gentlemen to stand up as she leaves the table, sit down again, and then stand once more when she returns.
4. Desserts may be eaten with both a spoon and fork, or alternatively a fork alone if it is a cake or pastry style sweet.
5. Always make a point of thanking the host and hostess for their hospitality before leaving.

Sometimes, I find myself listening to THE dullest conversations. This can be at any function, outing or even a raging party. Tedious and boring conversations are inevitable.  But how you act in these situations says a lot about your character. How we carry ourselves can send a message just as clearly as what we say.

Standing or sitting up straight, appearing confident, looking people in the eye, and having a smile gives people the impression that you are polite, confident and pleasant.

Scowling, crossing your arms, slouching, or staring off into the distance (even if these are just nervous habits) may make people think that you are angry, unapproachable, or disinterested.

The goal of your body language, in ANY conversation is to portray the idea, “I’m paying attention to what you are saying and find your story and you interesting.” Even if she is talking about the types of taupe paint currently drying in her home.

Good Body Language Lesson

Sometimes you are met with a situation.  A friend tells you a juicy, oh so good secret.  But she makes you promise to never tell a soul.

Respecting other people means you also respect their wishes. If someone tells you a secret or asks you to keep something in confidence, you should. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, it’s fine to say that you don’t feel comfortable keeping secrets — just be sure to do this before the person shares their secret with you.

Please Note: There are some very rare exceptions to this rule: if you find out that someone is being hurt or is in danger and they are afraid to tell anyone, you should encourage them not to keep their secret.

Living in Austin, I am a regular patron at many a taco stand, taquerias and even the occasional modern Tex-Mex fusion restaurant. Tex-Mex is a way of life in Austin.

Recently, I went out to dinner with my roommate, Kendall.  Dining at the wonderful Austin Tex-Mex treasure, Maudie’s, we found ourselves on the topic of proper taco consumption. Is it possible to eat a taco and still be a lady?

Well yes. But it does take practice, patience and attention to detail.

For a soft-shelled taco, please remember to not over stuff the tortilla. This is a fatal error. If you feel there is too much filling, simply use your fork and set the excess filling to the side of your plate.

With the tortilla folded over into a semi-circle shape, manipulate the top edges down so that they rest on the top of the taco. Take the taco in one hand and support it between your thumb and index finger. Your middle and ring finger rest on top, and your pinky finger supports the end underneath, which serves to keep that otherwise dripping extremity closed.

Hold at a downward angle over the plate, so that any leakage falls there, not on you.  Now you can enjoy with finesse and panache!

Worst-case scenario: The bottom of the tortilla splits and dumps the taco’s contents into your lap. I suggest laughing it off and maybe even toasting your margaritas to the delicious Mexican cuisine!

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