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.

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.

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.

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!

But what if the gift is cash?

I loathe talking about money.  I find it tacky and tasteless and it never makes for decent conversation.

Even so, thank you notes for cash gifts are the same as for any gift. Let the gift-giver know how much the gift is appreciated.  Tell the giver for what purpose you will use the money. If you’re not sure, then tell them that you’re saving up for college, a trip, a new appliance, or other future event or item. It’s always nice to end the note by thanking them for their thoughtfulness and generosity, too.

I recently had a rude encounter with an acquaintance of mine.  Though we had been friends for quite a long time, he made a less than appropriate comment towards me to which I took great offense.  I feel I acted as genteelly and aptly as one could in this situation. I will not get into the details, those are best kept private.

No one wants to be placed in the situation where rudeness has occurred, especially rudeness pointed at them. But, when one faces a tough situation like this, it is best to follow these five quick and easy guidelines.  This way you avoid looking the fool AND you can leave the situation the better person.

1. Don’t take it personally. Perhaps the offender is having a bad day.
2. Size up your annoyances. Is it worth it to make a fuss over something small, or is it a waste of your emotional time? Usually not.
3. Set a good example. Rudeness begets rudeness.
4. Count to ten. When someone’s behavior makes you angry, take a few deep breaths and calm down.
5. Laugh it off. If you can’t come up with a friendly joke, just chuckle and change the subject.

No matter how rude the person was, take solace in knowing you now have plenty to dish about when you go grab drinks with the girls later. (Not that I condone gossip)

If clinking is done at a large table, then only clink with persons sitting immediately on your left and right, but not those sitting across from you. However, you would acknowledge those sitting across by raising your glass to them.

Clinking of glasses after a toast can be done in a variety of manners depending on the country, culture, and level of formality. The following are a few tips for being suave as you clink those champagne flutes.

1. A glass is like a flower, and you don’t want to crush its petals, so hold the stem.
2. Raise the glass to eye level at the time of the toast.
3. Gently clink the glasses together.
4. Make eye contact and bottoms up!

Common sense tells us cell phones, iphones and blackberries are a distraction from reality, especially when entertaining company or out for a night on the town. Sitting at the table and texting away while your friends converse is no way to be a social butterfly. Follow these etiquette guidelines, and you’ll never commit a phone faux pas.

1. When in these locations: restaurant, airplane, theater, library, museum, church, classroom, business meeting, hospital, turn your cell phone off or set it to silent or, if you must, vibrate.
2. When you are with someone and you need to answer your cell phone, excuse yourself. If the conversation will be more than a minute, move a slight distance away to carry on the discussion.
3. When in public, always keep the conversation very brief and to the point. Long conversations should take place in private. And remember to keep your voice low when talking in public so as not to distract others around you.