The Perfect Houseguest

Houseguest Etiquette

 

Be the perfect houseguest and you will surely be invited back again.
Tips

• Always take a well-thought-out gift and present it upon arrival to show your appreciation. Such thoughtfulness makes a great first impression! 
• Do not eat, drink, or use anything without asking first. 
• Find out immediately where your host wants you to park your vehicle during the daytime and overnight. 
• Never invite a guest or take a pet without discussing with your host or hostess. Your host may not love Fi-Fi or Benji as much as you do! 
• Refrain from smoking in someone else’s home. Always ask for an acceptable place you can smoke. 
• Do not expect to be waited on or served. Always offer to help with the household duties. For example, be sure to make your bed each day, keep the bathroom and other areas you use clean, and ask what to do with used towels and laundry. 
• Offer to buy groceries and/or pay for an evening out when you have an extended stay (more than three days). 
• Always (always!) send a thank-you note immediately after your visit. 
• Do not overstay your welcome. If you have the feeling it’s time to go, it probably is! 

Dallas' Way To Start Thanksgiving!

A Family Tradition!
It is the 5K (3.1 miles) Turkey Trot! JHW and I joined 35,000 of our closest friends for the 43rd annual YMCA Turkey Trot. It benefits all the Dallas area YMCA's, and a great big THANK YOU this year to Capital One Bank who was the big sponsor.


Save the date for next Thanksgiving Day 9am! It is an excellent way to give back to the community, have a super fun time, and burn off calories before even eating one bit of the Thanksgiving Meal! Hope to see you  there!

xoJoy

Host and Hostess Etiquette

Photo from Spenderosa

Company is Coming!

The holidays are here, and we must put on our best host and hostess hat! Get busy now and determine details with your upcoming holiday houseguests so there are no surprises.

Be the perfect host and hostess when you have over-night guests. 
Tips 

• Before guests arrive, set expectations on details such as length of stay, daily routine, pets, eating habits, allergies, parking, etc.
• Always have the guest room perfect when your guests arrive. Fresh flowers, chocolates, water, new magazines, books, stationery, towels and all toiletries they could ask for while visiting.
• Let your guest know when meals will be served, and provide details on any meals that will be eaten out.
• Show your guest around your home and be sure to include information and locations on snacks and drinks, extra blankets and towels, and all electronics including intrusion alarms, WIFI #'s, and remote controls.
• Find out what your guests would like to do while visiting, and plan activities with their input.
• Make sure your guests have a key or access to your home so they can come and go as they wish if they are going to be with you for an extended stay.
• Discuss transportation needs with your guests, and provide a map of the city with points of interest shown.
• Make sure your guests have privacy and time to themselves.
• Most importantly—make your guests feel at home. Remember to treat them the way you would want to be treated.

Coming up on the next All Things Refined post - how to be a wonderful houseguest~

Until then ... happy hosting!

xoJoy

Neiman Marcus Coconut Cake

Neiman Marcus + Cake = Delicious

I wanted to rub this cake on my face - it was delicious! You must add this to your bucket list. I'm not sure if it is offered in every Neiman Marcus restaurant, but if you are in Dallas make a special visit to Neiman Marcus Northpark to the Mermaid and have a piece (and one to go) of the coconut cake. Even if you are not a coconut fan (I'm not so much) but you will be after tasting this cake. 

Have a delectable weekend!

xoJoy

The Secrets of Chanel No.5

At Dallas’ most chic book club, the Adolphus French Room

Table #10

The Adolphus Hotel, located in downtown Dallas, one block from the Neiman Marcus flagship store hosts Authors at the Adolphus book review event. As usual, the Adolphus team did not disappoint! Tilar Mazzeo discussed her new (launched today) book entitled:“The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World’s Most Famous Perfume”

Harper-Collins describes her book best: Tilar goes back through time and deep into the life of Coco Chanel, the brilliant, controversial, and steel-willed businesswoman at the heart of the fragrance. She takes readers to the rose plantations and celebrated jasmine fields where the perfume begins and then to the laboratories and boardrooms where scent and sex are forever intertwined. And she travels to the heart of the Chanel empire: 31 Rue Cambon, Coco Chanel's flagship boutique, where six decades ago American GIs stormed the counters to possess the magical elixir that captured the luxury and romance of Paris for their girls back home. A blend of evocative history and thoughtful research, here is a glittering account of where art and sensuality mingle with dazzling entrepreneurship and desire: Chanel No. 5.


Katherine, Paige, our very own Coco and I had table #10 at The Adolphus French Room (be impressed  - they received the highest rating ever of any restaurant in the United States by the Zagat Survey) 
We had a super time! Between, Tilar, the conversation, the fabulous friendships, and the delicious halibut, it was a day to remember - chalked with glamorous memories, not soon to be forgotten.

Paige, Tilar, our Coco, Katherine

Joy, Paige, Tilar, Katherine, Coco

Tilar and Joy

You can follow Tilar Mazzeo on her blog, twitter or facebook.
xoJoy

Save The Date!

It’s that time of year 

to set a date for your upcoming
Thanksgiving or Christmas party, 

or holiday event and send out a

hold-the-date card.