Holiday Tablescapes: Let 'Twelve Etiquette Essentials, Formal Dining and Tea Time' help!

Twelve Etiquette Essentials, Formal Dining and Tea Time can assist with tablescapes and gift giving

The holidays are upon us and Barb's Tea Service's Twelve Etiquette Essentials, Formal Dining and Tea Time is here to help -  not only in place settings but gift giving as well!

Guests can read up on proper dining etiquette

                              

This time of year, many of us are busy hanging wreaths on doors, draping garland over the mantle and placing twinkling lights on anything that doesn't  move to welcome all the friends and family who come to visit. For me, it's also a welcomed opportunity to bring out some of the fine china, crystal and silverware I've inherited (or otherwise acquired) and create tablescapes that are worthy of my husband's gourmet cooking!

Twelve Etiquette Essentials by the Barb Gulleys

                                 

We kick-started the holiday season, - and festive table settings -  this week when we had the family over for Thanksgiving dinner. Although I (literally) wrote the book on dining etiquette, Twelve Etiquette Essentials, Formal Dining and Tea Time, I found further inspiration for table arrangements from my mother-in-law's drawings in the aforementioned tiny tome.

Chapter Two illustrations, and all others in the book, are by Barbara R. Gulley

Also a Barbara Gulley, my mother-in-law provided the illustrations to the dining etiquette book. Chapter Two covers place settings and my mother-in-law drew an attractive arrangement of plates, utensils and glassware in our guide to all of their proper placements. 

Holiday place settings inspired by Twelve Etiquette Essentials illustrations

Like my readers, I turned to page six to make sure the spoons and glasses were lined up correctly, but the pretty green bordered plates in the illustration reminded me of my own mother's very lovely fine china, so I added that to this year's Thanksgiving table.

Once you know where everything goes, the creative juices can go to work! This year, we found a fall-hued table runner and candles on sale at Sur la Table and added that to our much loved (and used) brown leaf-motif tablecloth. My grandma's gold and cream-colored china joined my Mom's green bordered dishes, along with her full array of  silverware. 

Twelve Etiquette Essentials will have something for all of our your guests!

And, of course, all our guests got a copy of  Twelve Etiquette Essentials. (In the picture above, the author is seated between her editor, Matt, and formatting expert, Rachel).

At the start of this blog, we mentioned Twelve Etiquette Essentials can help not only with your tablescapes, but gift giving as well. Our book will be useful not only in  place settings, but proper etiquette for business dinners or afternoon tea. What a great stocking stuffer for college grads just starting a new job or friends who have expressed an interest in attending an elegant tea, but are unsure of proper protocol. And, for all of us, what foods can we eat using only our fingers and which require utensils? Also, there are instructions for proposing - and accepting -  toasts!

Twelve Etiquette Essentials, Formal Dining and Tea Time is available on Amazon. This book will help with your holiday tablescapes and (almost) everyone on your gift list!

Not everyone is interested in etiquette, some are just looking for leftovers from the Chef