Entertaining Made Easy
by
Emily Rose Burt
Produced by Janet Kegg, Josephine Paolucci and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team.
Made Easy Series
ENTERTAINING MADE EASY
BY
EMILY ROSE BURT
1919
_Acknowledgment is made to Woman's Home Companion, The Ladies' Home
Journal, Farm and Fireside, and the Designer for their courteous
permission to reprint certain material in this book_.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SOCIALS AND PARTIES
A SMILES SOCIAL
AN AVIATION MEET
A MOCK CANTEEN
A PROGRESSIVE MARCH PARTY
AN AUTUMN LEAF DANCE
A HARVEST HOME PARTY
A NUTTY PARTY FOR OCTOBER
A MAY POLE PARTY FOR CHILDREN
OUTDOOR AFFAIRS
A BACON BAT
A CHILDREN'S DAISY PARTY
A HAWAIIAN PORCH LUNCHEON
A WATERMELON FROLIC
A JAPANESE GARDEN PARTY
A COMMENCEMENT PICNIC
A PROGRESSIVE MOTOR PARTY
BIRTHDAYS AND OTHER ANNIVERSARIES
A BACHELOR SUPPER
MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY TEA
A PUSSY CAT PARTY
A GIRL'S BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON
THE WOODEN WEDDING
THE TIN WEDDING
A MOCK WEDDING
A SILVER WEDDING SHOWER
A CAPE COD LUNCHEON
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SHOWERS
"A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME" LUNCHEON
A HAPPINESS TEA
A HELLO PARTY
AN APPLE SHOWER
AN OLD ROSE SHOWER
A KITTY SHOWER
A CAMP FIRE SHOWER
A "ONE I LOVE" SHOWER
AN INDIAN SUMMER SHOWER
A CHRISTMAS TREE SHOWER
WEDDINGS
SUMMER WEDDING DECORATIONS
THE TABLE DECORATIONS
MENUS FOR THE BUFFET LUNCHEON
THE FAVORS
TWO SUMMER WEDDINGS
A Wild Rose Wedding
A Field Flower Wedding
OUTDOOR WEDDINGS
An Orchard Pageant
A Wedding on the Lawn
FALL WEDDINGS
A Blue and Gold Fall Wedding
Oak Leaves and Cosmos
THREE WINTER WEDDINGS
A Christmas Wedding
A Rainbow Wedding
A Colonial Wedding
_INTRODUCTION_
It is fun to entertain--if you don't make hard work of it.
And why make hard work of it when there are ways to entertain easily?
Besides you know that the more easily you do it, the more successful
you'll be, and there's hardly a woman in the world--is there?--who
wouldn't like to be known as a good hostess.
"But," says one of you, "I haven't the knack."
And another says, "I haven't the time or money."
And yet another, "Oh, I never have any ideas."
Nonsense!
It's not a question of knack or money or ideas. All you need is to
know the secret, and it's an open secret at that!
First, ask yourself what you mean by a successful hostess. Your answer
will be, "One whose guests have so good a time that they want to come
again."
Sure enough! The secret is out then--entertaining successfully is
giving the guests a good time.
"More easily said than done," you say. "What must I _do_ to give the
guests a good time?"
And the answer to that is in a nutshell. "Make your entertainment fit
the folks to be entertained."
You wouldn't, for instance, think of inviting your grandmother's
friends in of an afternoon in honor of the old lady's birthday and
playing stagecoach or blindman's buff.
And if you have your Sunday School class of lively boys in for the
evening, you won't expect them to play paper and pencil games from
eight to ten.
It's really just a matter of common sense coupled with some
imagination and forethought to choose the right kind of entertainment.
Along with choosing the right variety of amusement, remember that
folks generally like the simple things best and if there's a touch of
originality in addition, you've won their hearts. For you see you've
made them feel that you took the trouble to plan something "different"
in their honor.
Because it's different, it isn't necessarily hard to prepare--there
are lots of novelties in decoration, amusement and "eats" that
are perfectly simple and inexpensive. They are what help to make
entertaining easy, in fact. And just at this point you see comes in
the reason for the writing of this little book.
It aims to make entertaining easy by suggesting plans that are simple
and a little out-of-the-ordinary to fit the most frequent occasions
when you wish to entertain or perhaps _must_ do so. Special care has
been taken to consider time and expense, but at the same time to bring
in a touch of the unusual.
Don't miss the fun of entertaining because you've always thought it
hard work! This book has been prepared to show you how easily,
after all, it can be done. And may you have the reward of joy and
satisfaction that comes with successful hospitality!
SOCIALS AND PARTIES
Perhaps you're appointed chairman of the social committee of your
young people's church society of or some club. Or maybe you want to
entertain for a friend who is visiting you so that she may meet
your circle of friends. Anyway it's up to you to plan an evening's
amusement for a big crowd of people. If it's a mixed crowd--young and
old and in-between (as church socials often are)--you need one kind
of plan; if it's a bunch of young folks, or a school class party, or
something for the children, you need other plans.
But the secret of all good times for big crowds is to choose
entertainment that draws the individuals together in some kind of
comradeship, gives them all something in common, and puts them on a
friendly footing.
A SMILES SOCIAL
On the door of the parish house as well as in the post-office window
appeared a poster adorned with a big smiling face--the kind made by
drawing a circle and putting inside of it two eye dots, a nose line,
and a cheerful curve for a mouth.
Beneath it the invitation urged everybody to come to a Smiles Social,
wearing a smile and bringing an extra one in the pocket. Admission,
one smile.
The parish house parlors were decorated with all the laughing or
smiling pictures that could be found by the committee in charge. "Mona
Lisa" was there with her inscrutable smile, "The Laughing Cavalier,"
as well as less famous characters, such as smiling girls on calendars
and magazine covers. An amusing display of newspaper cartoons also
filled one portion of the wall space. Smilax was appropriately enough
used for trimming.
At the door was stationed a smiling admission collector, who insisted
on an entering smile from everyone. The extra one was not demanded at
this point.
With such a beginning and the gallery of smiles about the room to
break the ice, the social was assured of the success that followed.
The first stunt tried was called "Throwing Smiles," not a new
amusement but always a fun-maker.
One person starts the game by smiling broadly and then pretending to
wipe off the smile and throw it to somebody else. As soon as it lands
on the next person's face, that person must in turn wipe it off and
fling it at a third player. As soon as a smile is supposedly wiped
off, the owner of it must maintain a perfectly sober expression.
The company was in screams of laughter before this game had gone very
far.
Another amusing game for a large number which goes under various
names was called on this occasion "The Smile Factory." The company is
divided into two groups which line up opposite each other. Someone
is appointed to stand between the two lines with a man's soft hat in
hand. If upon being tossed in the air, the hat lands right side up,
one group has to laugh while the opposite one remains absolutely
sober. When the hat lands upside down, the first group remains solemn
and the other group laughs. A member of either side who fails to
follow this rule goes over to the opposite side. The side which wins
all the members of the other side is announced victorious.
The old-fashioned game of "Poor Pussy" was also played because the
point of it is trying not to smile. The younger folk will enjoy it.
You may remember that a ring is formed and the person within the ring
who is "it," kneels before someone in the circle and mews or purrs
appealingly three times successively. Each time the person confronted
must answer sternly or calmly "Poor Pussy," never smiling. In case of
a smile or a laugh, this person takes the place of "Poor Pussy."
Midway of the evening the extra smiles brought to the social were
asked for. Jokes and funny rhymes or sayings were read in turn. If
various persons dislike the publicity of such a procedure, all the
"smiles" may be collected and presented by two or three clever persons
in the form of a minstrel show. This can be called "Smiles in Black
and White."
The popular song "Smiles" was in order as well as the older favorite,"
Pack up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile."
The following conundrum was also propounded: What is the longest word
in the English language? The answer is "Smiles" because there's a mile
between the first and last syllables.
Humorous recitations and others relating to smiles were given by some
good readers.
Just before the refreshments came a smile-measuring contest. All stood
in line and grinned broadly while a girl with a tape measure took
account of each one in turn. The winner received as a prize a grinning
little china darky.
The refreshments were enough to make everyone smile--they consisted of
pink lemonade and ginger cookies with features marked on them in white
icing. The most conspicuous feature was of course the grin.
AN AVIATION MEET
Try this plan for recruiting attendance at your next church social.
It would also "fill the bill" for a jolly midwinter school party. The
invitations are made to look like tickets of admission; the men's of
red pasteboard and the girls' of blue. They read this way:
_Admit Two
To an Aviation Meet
In the ---- Church parlors
Friday evening
February 21 8 o'clock_
Each member who receives a ticket must make a point of inviting
somebody else, and should conduct the guest personally to the social.
The hall or assembly rooms may be decorated with American and Allied
colors, and it would be appropriate and effective to suspend in
each window a trio of toy balloons, red, white, and blue in color,
respectively. Miniature airplanes hung overhead at intervals down the
length of the room would add realism.
In different places on the walls fasten conspicuously large posters
boldly lettered with the program of events, as follows:
1. TESTS:
Ground work
Control
Balance
2. FLIGHTS
3. STUNTS AND TRICKS:
Hands Up
Spiral
Reverse speed
Low speed
Spin
Nose dives
Loop the loop
4. AIR RACES
5. ARRIVAL OF AIR MAIL
To promote fun, put up a few placards featuring certain well-known
members in some of the events. For instance:
"_See Charlie Hays loop the loop_!"
or
"_Mildred Brown's control is wonderful_!"
A good leader can make this program go off well by calling on
volunteers for the various contests. Sometimes people like better to
take part in teams.
The first test, which is called "ground work," is a hopping stunt. The
contestants hop on one foot to a given goal, and the one who does it
most easily and gracefully and holds out best is declared victorious
by the judges. Blue ribbon badges are pinned on the successful
persons.
Next comes "control," which turns out to be facial control under
difficulties. No matter what the funny, teasing, or pseudo-insulting
remarks or performances of the onlookers, the contestants must retain
calm and unmoved expressions as they stand in line.
"Balance" proves who best can poise an apple on the head and walk
across the room. All the "balancers" start at the same moment, and the
first successful ones are awarded the blue ribbon. Balancing peanuts
on a knife blade and carrying them thus from one end of the room to
the other is another way to execute the test.
When it is time for "flights" everybody is handed a paper aviation cap
to put on. Then paper and pencils are passed and all are invited to
take flights of fancy. These, it may be explained, may be rhymes,
romances, or the biggest lies that can be recalled. A flight of
oratory may also be offered. A committee of three appointed on the
spot promises to report on the winners at the close of the evening. If
preferred, a program of poems and short, comic, exaggerated stories
may be prepared beforehand, and fill in this space with apparent
impromptu.
The stunts and tricks follow in detail:
1. _Hands Up_. Only one person knows the stunt and she quite mystifies
everyone who presents himself and obeys her, till some one guesses the
secret or she finally tells it.
She begins by ordering her student on trial to raise one hand and
keep the other at his side while her own back is turned. Upon turning
around she is able to specify the hand which was raised. The secret
is, of course, that the hand which hangs at the side, because of its
position, becomes redder than the raised hand. At a glance she notes
the difference in color and so knows which hand has been raised.
2. _Spiral_. This is a good mixer. All are asked to form in line, one
behind another, each one's hands on the shoulders of the person ahead.
The leader then starts the line winding around and round the room into
a spiral and then unwinding it--the well-known gymnasium class stunt
which carried through in a sprightly way is bound to make everybody
feel better acquainted.
3. _Reverse Speed_. Any number line up for a backward race. They go as
fast as they can backward to an appointed goal.
4. _Low Speed_. Any number may enter. This is a "slow" race, that is
to say, all contestants progress as slowly as possible to a certain
goal.
5. _Spin_. A supply of children's tops is provided and the ability to
spin them properly is demonstrated. A few musical tops among them will
add to the hilarity.
6. _Nose Dives_. This is a stunt which will probably appeal most to
the boys or the more adventurous girls. It consists of pushing apples
or peanuts along given chalk marks on table or floor by means of the
nose only.
7. _Loop the Loop_. To those who know how to tie different kinds of
knots, the announcement of this contest gives a chance to show what
they can do.
The "air races" are of two sorts: the "hot air" race and the balloon
race. In the "hot air" race the contestants are timed as to the number
of words each can say in three minutes with the eyes shut. For the
balloon race several strings are stretched from one side of the room
to the other, and the same number of toy balloons is supplied. The
object is for the contestants to blow their respective balloons across
the room, following as nearly as possible the courses of string. The
choice of different colored balloons makes for interest and consequent
"rooting."
The arrival of the air mail is heralded by the entrance of someone
dressed in aviator's garments--warm helmet, goggles, gloves and
all--carrying a mail sack (if real, a new one: but an imitation one
suffices).
The aviator then proceeds to take out numerous packets which he hands
to the guests as far as they go. There should be at least half as many
packages as persons present. Each bundle is marked
"_Owner unknown.
Find another to share this_."
The explanation is that each recipient of a parcel must immediately
seek a partner and, upon doing so, open the parcel. Enough sandwiches
for two are revealed. Meanwhile, hot coffee or chocolate is being
passed by pretty waitresses with Japanese fans stuck in their hair
airplane-wise.
The evening may end with a "musical flight," or, in other words, a
rousing "sing."
A MOCK CANTEEN
For one boy who wanted to entertain a few of the fellows who had been
in camp with him, his hospitable sister planned a jolly supper party
which undoubtedly owed its success to its "homeiness." Certainly its
friendly informality accomplished much more than any large outlay in
money could have done. There were to be half a dozen boys, so five
other girls were invited to make an equal number of girls and men.
To begin with, the hostess passed around to the girls slips of paper
and duplicate slips to the men.
Each slip contained the name of some article of food for supper and
the man and girl who drew duplicate slips were thus delegated to
prepare that particular dish together.
When all had matched up partners they repaired to the kitchen, a big
old-fashioned room with plenty of space for all of them. The hostess
and her partner did no cooking, but announced that they would manage
this cafeteria.
While all the others were in the kitchen, they arranged on a side
table in the dining-room stacks of tin trays, knives, forks, spoons,
and paper napkins. Over it they posted a bulletin board in good
imitation of a real cafeteria. There were listed on it the five dishes
which were being prepared and as a joke a number of others--quite
impossible to cook at such a time, as roast beef, mince pie, frozen
pudding--all of which were then heavily crossed off in black ink.
When the cooks had finished their tasks (and the cheerful uproar that
accompanied their occupations may be easily imagined) the food was
arranged on a long kitchen table. Thereupon each person, after
possessing him or herself of a tray and the required silver and
scanning the menu posted, passed on and pretended to select from the
counter. In reality, of course, everyone took everything, and received
a check from the hostess with a punch against some "stunt" written on
it.
The menu as prepared read as follows:
Scalloped salmon
Fruit salad
Lettuce sandwiches
Chocolate pudding with whipped cream
Tea or coffee
Two tables were left bare in the dining-room and the company chose
seats where they wished.
A great deal of additional fun was gained upon finding that someone
had surreptitiously set up a placard on one of the tables reading
"Reserved for Ladies." Over the cold water faucet was a sign reading
"Water" and glasses were grouped near it.
After supper the various stunts registered on the checks and some
rollicking songs filled the remainder of a merry evening in which
there had been absolutely no chance for stiffness from beginning to
end.
These were some of the stunts:
_For the Men_
1. Show in five different ways how reveille affected your friends.
2. Give an imitation of a lady and her pet "Peke."
3. Go around the room without touching your feet to the floor.
4. Do a ballet act.
5. Dig a trench (in pantomime).
6. Sing a Mother Goose rhyme through your nose.
_For the Girls_
1. Give a military salute to every man in the room in turn.
2. Choose a partner to walk around the "chimney" with you ten times.
3. Count to fifty, substituting the words "Oh, fudge!" for fives and
every multiple of five.
4. Pretend to eat a bunch of grapes.
5. Represent your favorite movie actress till the others guess her
correctly.
6. Flirt in three different ways.
A PROGRESSIVE MARCH PARTY
A group of high school friends, a social club of boys and girls, or a
church society of young people will enjoy giving the following party
in March.
Send out invitations written on cards reading as follows:
_March is the month of all the year
When lamb and lion do appear,
When pussy willow comes anew
And March hare scampers into view.
If you would meet these creatures four
And maybe several others more,
Then come prepared for work and play
To Grangers' hall, March first, the day_.
On the invitation cards, tiny hares, lions, lambs, or sprays of pussy
willows can be outlined or traced by means of carbon paper from
pictures.
The guests upon arrival draw from a basket containing tiny toy or
cracker lions, lambs, rabbits and cats, whichever kind of favor they
wish.
According to the favor each one draws, the guests take their places
respectively at the March hare table, the lion table, the lamb table,
or the pussy willow table. Each table is marked by a distinguishing
centerpiece: at the March hare table is a plaster rabbit, at the lion
table, a toy lion; the lamb table has a woolly lamb on wheels, and the
pussy willow table, a bunch of pussy willows or a stuffed cat.
The fun is now ready to begin, for with the implements and materials
provided at each table the guests are required to produce a facsimile
of the animal for which the table is named. Different materials
are provided at each table, so there is no monotony, as the guests
progress from table to table after half an hour's stay at each one in
turn.
Modeling clay is the medium in which the March hares are to be done,
and no implements except fingers are supposed to be used, though if
a boy slyly makes use of his jack-knife, there are no embarrassing
questions asked.
The lions are to be carved from potatoes with the aid of little
kitchen vegetable knives, and the lambs are to be fashioned from
cotton wool, matches, and mucilage.
At the pussy willow table the guests must show how expert they can be
at cutting cats, free hand, from flannel. Beads for eyes, and floss
and bristles for whiskers, are also furnished.
Prizes are given for the best and the worst specimen at each table.
A rabbit's foot charm, a small reproduction of the Barye lion, or
the well-known Perry picture of a lion, a Dresden-china lamb or
shepherdess, and a pussy-cat plate, pincushion, or paper weight are
suggestions for first prizes, and four little tin horns painted green
may be given as booby prizes to the four "greenhorns" who have the
worst showing.
AN AUTUMN LEAF DANCE
In the fall, after school has opened, some class often likes to give
a reception to the entering class. An autumn leaf dance in October is
the prettiest kind of one to have.
Decorate the school hall with branches of scarlet and yellow maple
leaves, or deep red and russet oak boughs.
For the dance programs make covers from water-color paper cut and
painted to look like oak or maple leaves. The inside pages can be of
thin white paper in the same shape. Attach little red pencils.
Plan one autumn leaf dance in which each girl receives a wreath of
autumn leaves from her partner. For refreshments have orange or
raspberry ice with vanilla ice-cream, and serve it on plates covered
with leaf-shaped paper doilies.
A HARVEST HOME PARTY
A "RED EAR" party is what they called it in the invitations. It was
the opening party of the year in the high school and the seniors
planned it.
The cards they sent out said:
_Oh, this time o' the year
You'll recall the red ear
(It will never go out o' date);
So the members of "twenty"
Have planned fun a-plenty
At a regular Harvest Home fete--
You're invited_!
The school hall was delightfully decorated emphasizing the autumn
colors. Bright tawny leaves banked the platform where the orchestra
sat, and along the side walls globes of red and orange balloons glowed
among the soft tans and browns of cornstalks. From the ceiling,
myriads of red and orange paper lanterns swayed brilliantly.
The dance programs were "red ears" cut from cardboard, and tiny red
pencils dangled from them. Some of the names of the dances to excite
curiosity were:
The Corn Stalk
The Scarecrow Skitter
Farmerettes Fancy
Popcorn Waltz
Orchard One-step
Pumpkin Pie Walk
Red Ear Dance
Harvest Home Revue
The Corn Stalk was in the nature of a grand march--everybody "stalking
stiffly" round and round in time to the music, which ended in a
rollicking one-step.
Then followed the Scarecrow Skitter. A dilapidated old cornfield
character in all the crudity of flapping black was brought in and
established in the center of the floor. In his shabby hat fluttered a
handful of rusty crow feathers, and the feature of the dance was for
each boy to secure one of them in passing for his partner. The poor
old fellow was nearly torn to bits in the process.
The Farmerettes Fancy was another name for "ladies choice." All
the girls were given tiny toy rakes, hoes, spades, or other farm
implements which they used as favors in choosing partners.
For the Popcorn Waltz, the favors were popcorn chains for the boys to
hang around their partners' necks. There was a temptation to devour
these adornments as well as to use them for decorative purposes, and
on the whole they were a source of much fun.
The orchestra at intervals in this dance made use of some contrivance
which sounded like corn popping briskly over the fire.
A shower of snowy white confetti from the balcony still further
emphasized the popcorn idea.
In the Orchard One-step the boys were asked to pick peaches. The girls
stood behind a high screen and thrust their right hands above it. The
boys reached up, touched the "peaches" they chose and thereupon the
girls thus designated one-stepped away with their partners.
Instead of a cake walk, a Pumpkin Pie Walk was announced. The
contestants could indulge in just as crazy, funny or pretty dance
steps as they liked. The reward to the most original, entertaining and
clever couple was a big pumpkin pie.
Then came the Red Ear Dance. Everybody was blindfolded and asked to
pick an ear of corn from a big basket. When vision was restored the
girl holding the red ear (an ordinary ear with a red crepe paper
wrapping) was acclaimed queen of the carnival, and was presented
with a bouquet of red roses. During the dance a red glow by means of
special lighting arrangements filled the hall.
The Harvest Home Dance came just before supper, and lived up to its
name, in that paper costume caps designating fruits and vegetables
were given out and worn, so that the whole room seemed to be filled
with the "harvest."
Tomato, carrot, corn, apple, wheat, squashes, grapes, popcorn,
watermelon and blackberry were all represented.
The supper dance occurred midway in the evening, and the other novelty
dances described were interspersed before and after it.
The supper consisted merely of peach ice cream with sugared popcorn
on top, served on grape leaves, nut macaroons, tiny pumpkin tarts and
fruit punch.
COSTUME HATS FOR THE RED EAR PARTY
_Tomato_: Turkey red crepe paper or cotton skull cap with pointed
green paper calyx and green upstanding stem of wire covered over with
paper or cloth.
_Carrot_: Orange crepe paper or cloth conical cap. This may be made
on heavy paper or cardboard foundation. Characteristic lines may be
marked on the carrot.
_Corn_: Green paper or cloth toboggan cap falling gracefully to one
side With a long green or gold-colored silk tassel.
_Apple_: Little round bowl-like cap of glossy red paper with a brown
stem of paper-covered wire.
_Wheat_: A wreath of natural or artificial wheat ears.
_Squash_: Cardboard or stiff paper cut to make a "crook neck" effect,
covered with yellow paper.
_Grapes_: A graceful floppy green hat of straw or paper with a crown
entirely made of artificial or real grape bunches--blue or purple as
desired.--A filet of green ribbon with a real or artificial bunch of
grapes depending on each side to hang over the ears.
_Popcorn_: A close-fitting little toque covered with tiny pieces of
cotton batting to resemble popped corn.
_Watermelon_: A crescent-shaped hat to be worn broadside suggesting a
slice of watermelon from green paper border (fitting on hair) to pink
center dotted with tiny bits of black court plaster to suggest seeds.
_Blackberry_: Close-fitting little black quilted or puffed bonnet to
tie under chin.
A NUTTY PARTY FOR OCTOBER
A girl who wanted to give an inexpensive jolly little party in honor
of a visiting friend in October issued invitations to a nut gathering.
At the top of each correspondence card which served as an invitation,
she glued half an almond shell upon which a face was marked in ink.
Below this nut head the rest of the figure was drawn in ink on the
card, and the inscription read:
_Pretend you're a squirrel for once
And join my nut-gathering stunts,
Friday, October the eleventh
at half-past eight_.
The first amusement of the evening was introduced by suspending from
the chandelier in the center of the room a cocoanut decorated with a
comical face and a pointed paper cap perched on top.
Each person from a distance of ten feet was allowed three throws at
this cap with a little light rubber ball, the object being to knock
Mr. Cocoanut's cap off. The best marksman won a prize.
This first nut stunt caused so much fun that no one wanted to be lured
away to a Nut Exhibit. Ten varieties of nuts were represented by
pictures or objects and little slips of paper and pencil were
distributed for recording guesses.
The display was as follows:
1. A bit of butter on a plate
2. A stout, old-fashioned stick
3. A can of canned peas with indicating label
4. A single pea
5. A map of South America with the outlines of Brazil especially
prominent
6. A picture of typical English stone or brick wall
7. A can or cup of cocoa
8. A photograph of Hazel Dawn, the movie star
9. A beetle specimen (dead or alive)
10. Three ears of corn arranged to form the letter A
_Answers_
1. Butternut
2. Hickory nut
3. Pecan nut
4. Peanut
5. Brazil nut
6. English walnut
7. Cocoanut
8. Hazel nut
9. Betel nut
10. Acorn
The winner of this contest also had a prize. Of course a nut party
would hardly be complete without a peanut hunt and there was also a
peanut race in which the object was to transfer the peanuts from one
end of the room to another on the blade of a table knife.
In still another peanut contest the object was to pitch ten peanuts
into a narrow-necked jar at a distance of about twelve feet.
To choose partners for refreshments a basket of English walnuts was
passed, each little nut with a painted face and a paper cap of some
sort. Blue sailor caps, soldier caps, Red Cross nurse head-dresses,
Scotch Tam o' Shanters, babies' bonnets, girls' gay garden hats,
were all represented. There were only two of a kind, and the two
individuals who selected them were of course partners.
In addition each nut proved to be only a hollow nut shell; in one was
a conundrum, in its mate the answer.
The refreshments were nut-bread sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches,
hot cocoa, cocoanut macaroons, vanilla ice-cream with chocolate nut
sauce, and peanut brittle.
A MAY POLE PARTY FOR CHILDREN
One teacher planned a very happy May party for her little boy and girl
pupils. There was no chance to set up a big May pole out-of-doors for
the children to wind, but her idea turned out to be more original and
maybe even more jolly.
There were eighteen children included in the party, which was held in
the park. On arriving, each child was given a little peaked paper cap
of bright colored tissue paper. The boys liked these as well as the
girls did, although they found them harder to keep in place on their
heads. As soon as the children had donned their caps, three of the
tallest children were appointed to "help teacher." This helping
consisted in marching proudly out from behind a screen of bushes,
carrying three gay little May poles, decked with flowers and colored
paper streamers. They had been made by swinging a barrel hoop from
a broomstick handle, by means of a number of ribbon-like strips of
cloth. Of course the hoops were wound with the cloth, and besides that
were trimmed with apple blossoms and lilacs.
From the rim of each hoop the cloth strips hung straight down for two
or three feet. The colors on the May pole matched the colored caps
that the children wore.
There proved to be just fifteen streamer, and each child was allowed
to pick out a streamer to correspond with the color of the cap worn.
Thus a little girl with a pink cap would pick out a pink streamer; a
little boy with a green cap, a green streamer, and so on. The children
who held the May poles were then asked to stand at some distance apart
out in the open space of the park, and each little group of five
danced round and round, and back and forth, holding and twisting their
colored streamers.
Somehow this amused them almost all the long spring afternoon.
Different children took turns holding the May poles and sometimes they
would even form a procession and hippity-hop around the park. They
paraded down Main Street for a little way, but came back to the park
in time to play "Drop the Handkerchief," "Hide and Seek," and "Tag,"
before refreshments were served.
They were perfectly delighted, of course, with strawberry lemonade,
brown bread sandwiches, and little frosted cup cakes, which their
teacher's mother had made and on which she had outlined in pink
candies the individual initials of the children.
OUTDOOR AFFAIRS
Out-of-door entertaining is perhaps the easiest kind of all--if you
live in the country or the near-country. Anything elaborate in the
arrangements would be quite out of keeping and there's something about
being outdoors that takes away constraint. That's probably why outdoor
parties, because they are simple and natural, bring people together in
a spirit of good fellowship and are certain of success.
Children especially love them and young people always find an evening
garden party entrancing.
One of the jolliest kinds of outdoor parties is a bacon bat. It may be
a breakfast or a luncheon or a supper, but there is always bacon and
an open fire.
Now that automobiles are so abundant, the possibilities for motor
picnics and progressive motor parties are many and various.
A BACON BAT
A girl who lived in the country and had some city friends visiting
her gave them the time of their lives at a bacon bat. She telephoned
around to some of the young people and invited them to appear about
five o'clock in picnic clothes. The hike wouldn't be long, she
announced.
At the specified time a jolly bunch assembled to squabble
good-naturedly over the various packages and bundles assigned to them
to be carried. Under the hostess's direction they betook themselves
via footpath and trail to a stone-walled pasture spicy with sweet
fern.
Long toasting switches were readily cut by the boys from the trees in
the vicinity and wood was collected for two fires. Over one the coffee
was set to boil, and over the other the young folks proceeded to toast
bacon. Rolls were provided in which to insert the crisp juicy morsels
after toasting, and each person ate his or her own bacon sandwiches
broiling hot without further ceremony.
Cucumber pickles and mustard proved popular accompaniments and the
coffee was appreciated--drunk from tin cups.
There followed some huckleberry turnovers and homemade cookies, but on
top of the bacon and rolls they were almost superfluous.
Instead of bacon, chops, steak, or Frankfurters may be roasted, as
well as corn in season, but bacon is the least messy to eat.
Following the supper came stories and songs around the bonfire till
late in the evening. The city guests enjoyed it all because to them it
was so great a novelty. For the hostess it was a much easier way to
introduce her guests to her friends than a more formal affair would
have been.
A bacon bat is especially fun in spring or fall, but is also very
enjoyable on the beach in summer vacation time.
A marshmallow roast in the evening is first cousin to a bacon bat.
A CHILDREN'S DAISY PARTY
Let the children make the invitations they send out for their own
daisy party. On heavy water color paper they may draw and cut out
simple outlines of daisies--about ten petals around a center which is
then colored yellow with crayons. Each petal may hold one or two
words of the invitation, thus:
Will--you--come--to--our--daisy--party--on--Saturday--at--three?--Betty
and John.
Of course there should be some outdoor games, and a good one to play
is "Daisy in the Dell." For this the children form in a circle,
joining hands, and one is chosen to be daisy-picker. The daisy-picker
runs around the outside of the circle, chanting:
"Daisy in the Dell, Daisy in the Dell, I don't pick you, I don't pick
you, I _do_ pick you."
The child whom the daisy-picker touches upon reaching, the last word
must try to run entirely around the circle and back to his place
before the daisy-picker catches him. If he succeeds, he need not be
"it"; but if he is caught, he must be the daisy-picker.
"Are You a Daisy?" is another jolly game. The players stand in a line
facing one child, who is chosen to be "it." This child asks each one
in turn the question, "Are you a daisy?" Each child answers by naming
the flower he chooses to be. Thus one may say, "I am a rose"; another,
"I am a pansy." If any child chooses to say, "I am a daisy," he is
immediately chased by the questioner, and if caught, he must take the
place of the questioner. The game then proceeds as before. One rule is
that a child must not repeat the name of a flower that another child
has given.
A game that is based on the Mother Goose rhyme, "Rich Man, Poor Man,
Beggar Man, Thief," etc., is called "Rich Man, Poor Man." One child is
chosen to whisper to each of the players some word of the rhyme. The
named children then stand in a circle, and another child who is "it"
may call for any character in the rhyme that he wishes; the child
who has been given that name must respond by saying "Here," and then
running away. For instance, the one who is "it" may call for "lawyer,"
and the child to whom that name has been whispered calls out "Here,"
and is immediately chased by the leader. If he is caught within a
reasonable length of time, he is "it," and the former leader drops
out. This should be played until only two are left.
The refreshments carry out the daisy idea, and should be served
outdoors, either on the piazza or on the lawn. The centerpiece at
the supper-table is a big bunch of daisies, and each child has a
place-card on which is painted or drawn a daisy face, the petals
forming a cap frill. The sandwiches are bread and butter, and some
"good-to-eat" daisies can be made from hard-boiled eggs, by cutting
the whites petal-shaped, and by mixing the yellow with salad
mayonnaise to form the centers. Marguerites and little cakes frosted
in yellow and white may be served with vanilla ice cream.
A HAWAIIAN PORCH LUNCHEON
One woman entertained her club at their last meeting of the year with
a little porch luncheon. Hawaii had been one of the subjects of study,
so the Hawaiian note was dominant throughout.
Each guest was welcomed with a _lei_, the Hawaiian paper flower
garland which signifies friendship. Hung about the neck, these
decorations excited much fun.
The Hawaiian features of the refreshments were Hawaiian pineapple
salad and little imitation volcanoes which were in reality cones of
vanilla ice-cream in the center of which holes had been scooped and
then filled with hot caramel sauce, which of course overflowed the
sides in true lava fashion.
The favors were tiny dolls, each dressed in a short bright-fringed
paper skirt, orange, green, blue or pink, to match the color of the
_lei_ which each lady had already received as a souvenir.
During the luncheon the hostess played several Hawaiian musical
selections on her phonograph. If any of her friends had owned or
played a ukelele, doubtless the plaintive music would have been a
feature.
A WATERMELON FROLIC
When watermelons were ripe and plentiful, big pink posters cut oval
with a painted border of green and black lettering on the pink
startled the village with the notice of a watermelon frolic.
They read:
_Do you like watermelon?
Anyway
Be sure to come to a watermelon party
on the local fairgrounds
next Tuesday evening
Admission 25 cents
This entitles you to see the minstrel show
Proceeds for the Epworth League
of ---- Church_
Long plank tables on wooden horses were improvised for serving the
watermelons which were contributed by the members of the society. Some
of the men acted as carvers of the melons, and the girls served the
portions, which were sold for ten cents each.
The grounds were lighted with strings of electric lights in pink and
green paper lanterns.
Besides the main attraction there were several booths and side shows,
arranged country fair fashion, which drew well. One was labeled THE
WATERMELON PATCH. For this, real watermelon vines had been obtained
from somebody's garden and placed naturally on the ground. To the
vines were tied any number of artificial melons made of green paper
stuffed with cotton wadding which concealed tiny favors.
On payment of ten cents any person had the privilege of picking a
melon. The prize inside was supposed to be worth the fee.
At another booth, "watermelon cake" was served at five cents a slice.
The secret of this was that in making a plain cake the batter had been
colored with pink sugar and sprinkled with raisins. The cake was then
baked in a round tin and when sliced resembled the pink of watermelon
filled with black seeds.
As it was sweet corn season, and as corn is also typical of the South,
there was a hot corn vender, who sold steaming ears straight from
kettle to buyer.
One feature of the evening was a watermelon contest among the boys.
Volunteers were called for and lined up at a table. They were then
supplied with large wedges of melon and at the sound of the referee's
whistle the race began.
The prize was a whole watermelon.
There was also a watermelon hurdle race. The course was laid out with
big watermelons and time was kept for each hurdler.
The main attraction of the evening, however, was the minstrel show. On
a raised wooden platform sat the performers with blackened hands
and faces. They wore grotesque garb and each one fingered a guitar,
mandolin, or banjo.
First they gave a number of well-known Southern melodies such as _Old
Black Joe, Swanee Riber, Dixie, Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground_. Some
whistling numbers were much appreciated and _My Alabama Coon_, with
its humming and strumming, proved a great success. As a special item
of their musical program they sang a parody of _Apple Blossom Time_
called _It's Watermelon Time in Dixie_.
The watermelon frolic was a great success and is recommended to any
organization in town or country at watermelon time as a fun--and
funds--producing social.
_Parody_
"When It's Watermelon Time in Dixie"[1]
After
"When It's Apple Blossom Time in
Normandie"
(_Sing with appropriate motions_)
_Repeat_:
When it's watermelon time in Dixie Land[1]
Ah wants to be
Right dher[2] you see
In dat dear old melon patch
To eat a batch!
When it's watermelon time in Dixie Land
Dat's de time of all de year
When Ah grin[3] with cheer from ear to ear
Watermelon's jes' GRAND!!!
[Footnote 1: Sway heads and bodies]
[Footnote 2: Jerk thumbs backward over shoulder]
[Footnote 3: Grin broadly--stretch hands from corners of mouth to
ears.]
A JAPANESE GARDEN PARTY
A girl who wished to entertain for a visiting school friend one
evening in midsummer sent out invitations to a Japanese Garden Party.
She wrote them on the pretty little hand-decorated place-cards which
are to be found in most shops now. The Japanese writing paper which
comes in rolls is another possibility for them.
She had a wide porch and a big lawn which she decorated for the
occasion with strings of pink, yellow and green Japanese lanterns with
electric bulbs inside. Settees and wicker chairs were scattered in
cosy groups through the shrubbery, and there was a faint odor of
burning incense.
For entertainment there was dancing on the porch to the tune of a
phonograph and a program of Japanese music, including some selections
from "Butterfly" and "The Mikado."
A clever reader gave one of the Hashimura Togo stories, and also the
hostess had arranged some artistic tableaux in Japanese fashion.
When it was refreshment time, cunning little girl friends of the
hostess appeared in Japanese kimonos, hair done high and stuck full
of tiny fans or flowers. They bore Japanese lacquer trays with tiny
sandwiches (filled with preserved ginger), cherry ice and rice wafers.
A wee Japanese flag was stuck in each portion of cherry ice.
The favors were wee Japanese doilies which the guests were bidden to
hunt for under a certain group of trees. While doing so, a sudden
surprise shower of seeming cherry blossoms covered them with pink and
white petals. These were really confetti petals obligingly scattered
by the nimble little waitresses perched in the branches above.
A COMMENCEMENT PICNIC
Instead of giving the usual banquet and reception to the seniors,
the juniors in a small school might well plan an outdoor picnic and
supper. It has the possibility of being jollier than the regulation
affair, and is certainly less expensive.
Individual invitations may be sent out to the senior class--quite
unusual and mysterious invitations--for each one may consist of a
colored feather quill with a message written on a slip of paper
wrapped about the end. This reads:
_Greetings from the Tribe of Twenteequas
To the Tribe of Nyneteenwas:
Will the Tribe of Nyneteenwas
Smoke the pipe of friendship
Round the camp-fire of the Twenteequas
On the sixteenth day of the Moon of Roses
One hour before waysawi (sunset)?
One of the Twenteequas will act as your guide_.
As soon as the two classes have gathered at the picnic ground, the
juniors, already decked in head bands of ribbon in their own class
colors, may present the seniors with similar ribbons. The boys may
have feathers stuck in theirs--if they don't object to head bands.
The chief of the Twenteequas may announce the first stunt as a Hunt
for Game, and all must hunt in pairs, matching partners by means of
selecting, blindfolded, colored beads from a basket. Pasteboard bows
and arrows are supplied, and everyone is told to return at the summons
of a beaten tom-tom.
The couples then scatter into the surrounding woods, and hunt for
animal crackers which have previously been hidden by a committee of
juniors.
The prize for the couple getting the most game might be an animal toy.
Next, volunteers to "Run the Gauntlet" may be called for. The others
form in two parallel lines facing each other, armed with pieces of
chalk. The victims must run down between the lines to a goal at the
end, while the cruel Indians on each side reach out to put a chalk
mark on them. The victim who gets the least chalk marks is permitted
to select five of his tormentors to perform a series of stunts,
previously planned by the junior entertainment committee.
Appropriate ones are these: 1. Give an Indian war whoop. 2. Do an
Indian war dance. 3. Give Indian names to five people here. 4. Make a
speech in sign language. 5. Tell an Indian story.
Supper should be eaten around a big camp-fire, and should consist of
coffee cooked over the fire, nut-bread sandwiches, cold chicken and
potato chips, and chocolate ice-cream under individual miniature
tepees of brown paper.
Paint on each tepee in black some symbol apparently mysterious but in
reality characteristic of the owner. Thus, a girl with a beautiful
voice and a talent for singing may have a quaint bird on hers; an
athlete, a pair of Indian clubs; a domestic science girl, a bowl and
spoon or a kettle, and so on.
Redskins and Palefaces complete the menu, Palefaces being cookies with
white icing and features marked in candies, and Redskins being apples.
Toasting marshmallows over the fire and singing school ditties and old
favorites will end this unique party delightfully.
A PROGRESSIVE MOTOR PARTY
A group of girls who lived in the country gave a delightful farewell
party for one of their number who was to move out of town to another
part of the world. They called it a Progressive Rainbow.
At four o'clock one Saturday afternoon they all met at one of the
homes.
The porch was decorated in a red color scheme. A row of red Japanese
lanterns hung from the roof all around. Red cushions were scattered
about in the chairs and on the steps, and a jar of crimson rambler
roses adorned the table.
Everybody sat about and gossiped for a little while, and then fruit
cocktails, to which strawberries gave the touch of red, were served.
A tray of red ribbon streamers was passed, and each girl pinned one on
her blouse, as the beginning of her rainbow badge.
The guest of honor found with her favor a package tied with red tulle,
which she was requested not to open till the end of the afternoon.
After this, two automobiles, owned by members of the group or their
families, whisked the party along two miles of fresh country road to
the home of another girl in the group.
Little tables had been set on the lawn with a bouquet of old-fashioned
marigolds in the center of each one, and a toy orange balloon tied
to the back of each chair by a long string. Here were served jellied
orange soup in cups, and saltines.
The girls received orange-colored favor ribbons to pin next to their
red ones, and the guest of honor received another prize packet, this
time tied with orange tulle.
From there they all jumped again into the waiting cars and were
transported to the home of a third girl for the third course.
This time it was served in the dining-room, which was decorated with
yellow snapdragons. A basket of them filled the center of the table,
and at each place was a scalloped shell containing deviled crab meat
garnished with lemon quarters and accompanied by tartar sauce. Cubes
of hot yellow cornbread were delicious with the crab.
Again the passing of the yellow ribbons to the girls and the
presenting of the yellow-tied package to the guest of honor were the
signals for leaving to go to the next house.
The automobiles quickly took them there, where the main course of the
dinner was to be eaten. Maidenhair ferns were lovely in a green bowl
on the table, and tiny wood ferns were scattered over the white
tablecloth.
The menu consisted of broiled chicken, fresh green peas, small boiled
potatoes with parsley, and rye rolls.
By this time the girls were getting interested in their rainbow of
ribbons, to which the green was now added, and the guest of honor
received her fourth package, green-tied.
Motoring to the salad course, the group found the dining-room lighted
by blue candles, though the guests were begged not to feel blue.
Ragged robins were arranged as a centerpiece, and fluttering blue
tissue butterflies marked the places.
The salad was prunes stuffed with peanuts in hearts of lettuce, served
with French dressing and Dutch cheese balls.
By the time the sixth stop was reached the sun had set and the moon
was coming up, so that the girls sat on the veranda in the moon-light
and sipped grape-juice ice to the music of romantic ditties. Lavender
streamers were added next to the blue ones, and their badges were
complete.
As they finally drove up to the last house, they were greeted by a
rainbow of tulle which arched the entrance to the porch.
With their fluttering rainbow ribbon badges and the armful of rainbow
packages belonging to the guest of honor, they felt very much at home
with the rainbow, and the guest of honor was not even surprised to be
asked to seek the pot of gold at the foot.
In the yellow pottery jar which she discovered were as many
gold nuggets as there were girls, and each nugget was a little
gilt-paper-wrapped joke for the trip.
The real, sure-enough farewell gifts to keep were in the packages
progressively received, and there was a jolly time opening them under
the rainbow.
BIRTHDAYS AND OTHER ANNIVERSARIES
Birthdays you particularly wish to celebrate happily and successfully.
There's your mother's birthday or your brother's or your little son's
or daughter's birthday or the birthday of the popular president of
your special club.
Then there are the various wedding anniversaries that call for
suitable recognition, especially the five, ten, and twenty-five year
ones.
Besides these there are countless other events that you want to
commemorate pleasantly in some way afterward. These various occasions
offer fascinating possibilities for the most delightful of social
affairs.
A BACHELOR SUPPER
"_When I was a bachelor I lived by myself
And all the bread and cheese I got, I put upon the shelf;
The rats and the mice, they made such a strife
I was forced to go to London to buy me a wife.
The streets were so broad and the lanes were so narrow
I was forced to bring my wife home in a wheelbarrow_."
This old Mother Goose rhyme was the keynote of a bachelor supper
which one girl gave for her brother and a few of his friends on his
birthday.
The centerpiece on the table was an arrangement of bachelors' buttons
and at every place was a tiny toy wheelbarrow filled with candies, a
wee dressed-up dolly dame perched atop of each load.
The rhyme also furnished the reason for the first course, which was
most suitably bread and cheese, only the bread was in the form of
buttered rounds of toast and the cheese was a delicious Welsh rarebit,
accompanied by coffee or gingerale.
Ice-cream in cantaloupes with a chocolate mouse nibbling at the
rind followed, to be eaten with those most delicious of all
cookies--home-made "hermits."
MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY TEA
A pleasant way for a daughter to entertain for her mother is to give a
little informal afternoon tea, asking the mother's friends and their
daughters and thus making it a kind of mother and daughter affair.
Send out the invitations on your calling card, writing your mother's
name at the top. If your mother likes surprises, arrange the party to
be one if possible, but if she is like most mothers she will prefer to
know what's going on and so be prepared.
The rooms should be decorated with flowers of the season. The country
girl will find it easy in spring, summer, or fall.
During the afternoon a little program of previously arranged "mother"
songs, lullabies and readings by some of the guests may agreeably
interrupt the chat.
Tea, sandwiches and little cakes may be served in the dining-room
from a festive birthday table. The centerpiece may be a bowl of pink
roses--to match in number the years of the guest of honor. Candles
from under rose-colored paper or silk shades may light the room, and
if desired each guest may be presented with a miniature band-box
covered with rose-sprigged paper or chintz--filled with wee pink and
white candies.
A PUSSY CAT PARTY
When Billy's mother decided to give him a birthday party, she pounced
upon the pussy cat plan, partly because pussy-willows are still
flourishing in April, but mostly because she knew that kittens and
cats are favorites with nine and ten year olds.
The invitations were folded kitty-cornered and inside of each appeared
a fat fuzzy little gray puss taken from a real pussy-willow branch.
"Puss" had pen and ink ears, whiskers and tail, and likewise a tiny
red-painted fence post upon which to sit.
The first game was a good romp at "Puss-in-the-Corner." That was
followed by the foolish but funny "Poor Pussy."
While the children were still in a circle for that, Billy's mother
explained a new game. It was called "Kitty Kitty" and was carried
out on the lines of "Spin the Platter." In every child's ear Billy
whispered the name of some sort of cat, as for instance, tiger,
"yaller," green-eyes, double-toes, maltese, Angora, black and white,
gray.
He then occupied the center of the circle and spun a tin pieplate. As
he did so he called out one of the names he had assigned and counted
rapidly out loud up to ten. Thus, "Green-eyes, one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
The child who had been given the name "green-eyes" was supposed to
jump up and snatch the pie tin before Billy had finished counting to
ten. If "green-eyes" failed, then he had to take Billy's place. Billy,
too, of course, had a pussy cat label.
Another circle game that was fun was called "Pussy's Prowlings." It
was on the order of stage-coach. Billy's mother told the story of a
kitty's wanderings and before she started to tell it, she whispered to
each child the name of something which was to appear in the story. For
instance, she gave out "haymow," "milk dish," "mouse hole," "catnip."
Every time she mentioned any such name in the process of telling the
story, the child who had it was expected to rise from his chair,
turn around three times and sit down again. When the words "pussy's
prowlings" were mentioned, all the players jumped up and exchanged
seats. The story teller also tried to get a seat, and if she succeeded
the child who was finally left without one had to continue the story.
PUSSY'S PROWLINGS
Once there was a PUSSYCAT named BLINKY who said to herself one day,
"I'm tired of MILK to drink and I'm oh, so hungry for MOUSE. I must go
on a MOUSE hunt."
So BLINKY stole out of the red BRICK HOUSE where she lived very
happily with the JONES FAMILY. She pattered down the back DOORSTEPS
where her MILK SAUCER was set and she scampered along the winding PATH
to the BARN.
(That's the way PUSSY'S PROWLINGS began.)
Up the LADDER to the HAYMOW she crept and through the heaps of sweet
clover HAY to a HOLE IN THE WALL. There BLINKY knew lived a MOUSE. So
she crouched close to the MOUSE HOLE, as still as still could be and
watched, and she watched and she watched and she watched.
But that MOUSE must have been away from home or else very busy down in
its HOLE, for it never once stuck its little NOSE out. And when BLINKY
had watched there in the HAYMOW for three long, long hours, she was so
hungry that she couldn't watch for that MOUSE a single minute more.
She thought of the MILK SAUCER by the back DOORSTEPS and she said to
herself, "If I can't have MOUSE, MILK won't taste so bad after all."
So BLINKY made her way back through the heaps of HAY and scrambled
down the LADDER to the HAYMOW and ran along the winding PATH to the
back DOORSTEPS. And there, sure enough, was a SAUCER full of MILK all
ready for her to drink. So BLINKY lapped it up very hungrily and was
perfectly happy!
(And that's the way PUSSY'S PROWLINGS ended.)
The next game was called "Hunt the Mouse." Billy had hidden a
chocolate mouse somewhere in the room and the children were asked to
be kitties and try to find it. Whenever anyone came very near the
hiding place, Billy miaowed loudly, or if everyone was very far from
it, Billy would mew only faintly. The "kitty" who found the mouse kept
it for a reward.
In another room the children had a chance to hunt for those mittens
which the "naughty kittens" once lost. Many tiny red paper mittens
were scattered throughout the room and were much more easily found
than the mouse.
The supper table delighted the children. In the center of it sat a
big stuffed toy cat surrounded by chocolate mice, and at each child's
place a tiny white plush cat with the child's name on a paper tied to
the neck had been placed. Such toys can usually be bought in five and
ten cent stores.
Pussy-willow sprays laid flat on the tablecloth decorated the table
gracefully. The napkins were the paper ones which feature black cats
at Hallowe'en.
Little ramekins of creamed chicken pleased the children. With the
chicken, Billy's mother served "kitty-cornered" sandwiches of brown
bread filled with cream cheese and chopped nuts. There was hot cocoa
too, and for the last course individual molds of chocolate blanc mange
with whipped cream and a candied cherry on top. Needless to say there
was a birthday cake which was brought in ablaze with candles and set
before Billy to cut.
Each guest received a souvenir chocolate mouse and was ready to
declare upon departure at six that the pussy cat party had been, oh,
so jolly!
A GIRL'S BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON
Once a mother gave a little birthday luncheon for her daughter who was
a freshman in high school. It pleased the fourteen-year-old and her
friends because of the novelty in decorations and menu.
The class colors were green and white, so that scheme was used
throughout. In the center of the table was a green bowl with a few
paper narcissi arranged in a flower holder, Japanese fashion.
Around each plate was a wreath of smilax--any small green vine would
do perfectly well--and above each plate a tiny green candle burning in
a wee holder. The place-cards were tied to the handles of the holders.
Glass dishes of lime drops and wintergreen candies added to the
general green and white effect.
The menu consisted of fruit cocktail with a sprig of mint atop of each
portion, followed by a second course of chicken a la King generously
sprinkled with capers, and accompanied by hot rolls and olives.
Then came hot chocolate with a marshmallow floating in each cup and
milestone salad, which consisted of oblongs of cream cheese into which
numerals cut out of green peppers were pressed. The milestones stood
erect on fresh lettuce leaves and were served with French dressing.
After that a birthday cake was borne in ablaze with fourteen green
tapers and set before the little hostess to cut. Great was the fun
when the fortune favors, baked in the cake, were found by the guests.
Pistachio ice-cream accompanied the cake, but vanilla ice-cream or a
green gelatine dessert would be equally fitting.
The favors were little green vanity bags made from ribbon by the
fourteen-year-old's mother.
THE WOODEN WEDDING
An informal evening party is perhaps the jolliest way to celebrate the
fifth wedding anniversary.
After everybody has arrived, try a wooden smile contest. There will
be any number of humorous attempts, but few will be wooden. The
contestant who smiles most woodenly may receive as a prize a gaily
painted wooden jumping jack or any other wooden toy.
The next amusement can be a progressive one, consisting of putting
together at tables wooden puzzles of all sorts, including jig-saw
puzzles.
Puzzles make good prizes for this contest. One of the carefully packed
wooden boxes of candy is another possibility.
Another occupation that is appropriate and fun-making is a pea and
tooth-pick contest. Wooden tooth-picks and dried peas soaked up are
provided. Each person is then assigned to construct one member of
a tooth-pick wedding party properly. The tooth-pick persons when
finished should form in a parade down the center of the library table.
A light buffet supper or simply ice-cream and coffee may be served
in the dining-room. Decorate the table with a central wooden bowl
containing some simple flowers such as daisies, honeysuckles,
snapdragons, nasturtiums, or whatever flowers are in season.
There may be wooden candlesticks with candles to match the color
scheme and small wooden plates and bowls for candies and nuts.
Serve the ice-cream on wooden plates covered with lace paper doilies,
and give as favors tiny wooden household articles such as dolls'
rolling-pins, clothespins, barrels, washtubs, spinning wheels, and the
like.
THE TIN WEDDING
The tenth wedding anniversary has many possibilities for fun. An
informal social evening or a dinner followed by some jolly stunts are
in order.
In any case, arrange for the dining table a centerpiece of a shiny tin
funnel filled with bright garden or wild flowers surrounded by a frill
of lace paper to represent an old-fashioned, formal bouquet. Use tin
candlesticks with bayberry candles for illumination and scatter tiny
new patty pans with crinkly edges over the table to hold candies and
nuts.
The salad may be served on shiny tin plates covered with lace paper
doilies, the ice-cream in individual patty pans, and the coffee or
punch in tin cups.
At each place put a tiny funnel bouquet, a miniature of the central
one or else some tiny tin toy.
Tin whistles for everybody would promote the hilarity.
The old-fashioned game of "Spin the Platter" would be good to start
the entertainment of the evening. Then may come a "tin" minute paper
and pencil contest to see who can write the most words beginning or
ending with TIN in the allotted ten minutes.
Ten "reel" years of married life may next be shown. This feature is
simply a series of movie-like pantomimes showing humorous events, real
or imaginary, in the life of the host and hostess--given, of course,
by their friends.
A tin band concert will also provide a good time. Those who are in the
band perform on instruments contrived from kitchen utensils or the tin
noise-making novelties which can be obtained in the shops.
A MOCK WEDDING
A mock wedding is a funny way to celebrate one of the numerous early
wedding anniversaries, especially if a group of young married women
friends want to join in a surprise.
The bride may be invited to a chum's house and presently the
procession may appear before her.
The bride should have a cheesecloth or mosquito netting veil with
dried orange peel to hold the folds in place, and she should carry a
bouquet of white chicken feathers tied with white tape--the shower
part can be little bows of rags.
The bridesmaids might all wear the cheapest of farmers' hats, with
huge bunches of goldenrod or asters on them or else such things as
little kitchen utensils sewed on the front in place of flowers.
Bouquets of burdock tied with colored cretonne would be attractive
for them, or possibly as a substitute for the conventional shepherds'
crooks they could carry umbrellas with big bows on the handles. A
third suggestion for the bridesmaids is that they carry grape baskets
filled with none too choice outdoor flowers and weeds.
There should be a flower girl, of course, who can wear an abbreviated
costume. Her hair should be in ringlets with a big ribbon tied around
her head, and she may carry a market basket filled with scraps of
paper, or flowers if you prefer, to scatter in front of the bride.
The ring bearer may carry a curtain ring on a sofa cushion.
At the ceremony, of course, you must omit all the really solemn parts,
but you may let someone make up some questions for the minister to
use. For instance, he may say to the mock bridegroom, "Do you promise
to obey this woman?" Instead of saying, "I will" and "I do," they may
say, "I wilt" and "I doth."
For a wedding breakfast, you might serve creamed codfish in heavy
crockery, and follow it with helpings of cream of wheat either cold or
hot, which can be served to resemble ice cream in little paper cases.
There should be a wedding cake which may be only ginger-bread, and
some kind of grotesque motto may be inscribed in the frosting.
A SILVER WEDDING SHOWER
A little group, girlhood friends of more than twenty-five years
standing, recently planned a pleasant shower for a popular friend, the
president, as it happened, of their fortnightly sewing club, on her
silver wedding anniversary.
None of the ladies was rich and the gifts were planned to cost not
over fifty cents each. Many of them were less than that.
Silver fittings for a work basket were chosen and included a silver
needle case, a silver thimble case, a silver hem gauge, a unique
tatting shuttle, a little silver ripping knife, a cunning strawberry
emery with a silver hull and a wee wax cherry with a silver stem.
The gifts were wrapped in white tissue paper, tied with silver cord
with a tiny shining bell inserted in the center of each knot. They
were presented in a lovely sweet grass sewing basket, which in turn
was wrapped and tied with silver ribbon.
This was not given, however, till the close of the afternoon's
sewing, which had gone on as usual, though there was an atmosphere of
ill-concealed expectation.
Simple refreshments were brought in and served in buffet style.
Home-made ice-cream was passed in little ice cups which had as
decorations around the rim a circlet of glittering silvery tinsel.
"Silver Cake" and bonbons in silver wrappings accompanied the ice
cream.
Last of all, the "shower" was borne in on a silver tray and set before
the surprised guest of honor. A little rhyme explained this turn of
events to the delightfully mystified recipient:
_Because of many a happy hour
With you, well spent, we give this shower,
Just to remember in a way
With love, your silver wedding day_.
As an amusing little contest each lady was asked to write down ten
things she had learned in the last twenty-five years. The replies made
good reading and furnished plenty of conversation till home-going
time.
A CAPE COD LUNCHEON
In remembrance of a happy two weeks spent in a little bungalow on Cape
Cod, one of the girls of the "bunch" gave a quaint luncheon for the
others during the year following.
The invitations bore a tiny spray of bayberry sketched in one corner
and read like this:
_May the bayberry dip and the odor of pine
At this little reunion luncheon of mine,
Bring back all our fun in the house by the sea,
Where we were as jolly as jolly could be_.
On the luncheon table homespun runners were used, crossed in the
center where a brown wicker basket filled with the gray green of
bayberry branches, brightened by the orange of bittersweet, stood on a
mat of fragrant pine.
Green bayberry dips in the simplest of low tin candlesticks lighted
the table and at each cover the place-card was a little outline map of
Cape Cod with the situation of the summer camp conspicuously marked.
The menu consisted of clam cocktails, codfish cakes and tiny pots
of baked beans, hot steamed brown bread cut in small round slices,
blueberry tarts, and coffee.
The favors were wee bayberry "waxes" for the sewing basket, each with
a bit of a bayberry twig peeping from its top.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SHOWERS
"How shall I announce my engagement?" The engaged girl we have always
with us, and the next step after the engagement is the announcement
of it. Most girls like to have some kind of little social function to
break the news to their special circle of friends. Usually a mother or
a sister or a chum does the entertaining, though a girl herself may
perfectly well plan and carry out such a party.
There are several sorts of affairs which may serve as a setting for
an announcement. A favorite kind is a luncheon for a group of girl
friends. Even less work is an afternoon tea and to that a girl's men
friends may be asked also, though it's really easier to have girls
only. Another kind of announcement party is the evening affair
to which both men and girl friends are invited and at which the
announcement should be "sprung" as a total surprise as in all other
announcement affairs.
After the engagement is known, immediately the friends of the
bride-to-be begin to think of showers for her. One friend or a group
of friends or her club may be hostesses and give such an affair.
There are different ways of planning them. For instance, they may be
appropriate to the month, like a Christmas Tree Shower in December or
an Indian Summer Shower in November or a Rainy Day Shower in April. Or
they may take as keynotes the engaged girl's special likes, as in the
case of an apple shower, a kitty shower or an old rose shower. And
then again, they may be just plain, ordinary, handkerchief showers, or
linen showers, or kitchen showers, with an original touch somewhere.
"A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME" LUNCHEON
At a recent engagement luncheon the announcement was made in a unique
way.
A large wooden embroidery hoop was hung from the ceiling over the
table and in the ring perched a gaily painted wooden parrot, the kind
that rocks back and forth when touched.
From the parrot streamers of colored baby ribbon led to the different
places, and tied to the ends of the ribbons were tiny notes in
envelopes. These on being opened showed the names of the engaged
couple and a short rhyme reading thus:
_A little bird told me
A very nice thing,
That Randolph gave Sally
A diamond ring_.
The refreshments followed somewhat the parrot color scheme, with
halves of grapefruit garnished with cherries, chicken a la King,
pimento, walnut and cream cheese salad, orange ice, and little cakes
with colored frosting.
Small celluloid parrots perched on the rims of the glasses were
appropriate souvenirs.
A HAPPINESS TEA
_Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full o' rye,
Four and twenty bluebirds
Baked in a pie;
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing,
About a certain couple here
Who have some news to spring_.
Thus did one girl announce her engagement in the month of May. She had
asked twenty-four of her best friends to come to a bluebird tea one
Saturday afternoon, and nobody suspected her secret, although they did
remember that the bluebird stands for happiness.
The party was held out on the hostess's big porch, which was decorated
with jars of pink and white apple blossoms. Everybody had a very good
time dancing to the music of the phonograph until it was time for the
tea to be served. The waitresses were Betty's two little sisters, who
wore as insignia big blue bows on their hair and cunning little aprons
made of bluebird cretonne.
The tea was iced and served with lemon and mint in tall glasses. The
sandwiches were tiny and round and filled with pink strawberry jam
which made them seem like delectable apple-blossom petals. Betty
happened to have bluebird plates and she used paper napkins with a
bluebird motif.
After the sandwiches came little pink and green and white frosted
cakes and last of all the surprise. It appeared to be a great pie with
bluebird heads peeking through the crust. In reality the crust was
just brown paper touched up with a bit of water color paint and pasted
across the top of a big open pan. The bluebirds soon showed what they
were when the guests in turn pulled them out of the pie by means of
the narrow white ribbon attached to each one. They were really flat
pasteboard bluebirds and served as the excuse for the rhyme announcing
Betty's engagement.
As a souvenir each guest had a tiny bluebird May basket filled
with pink and white Jordan almonds. Small square boxes formed the
foundations of the May baskets, the sides were then covered with
bluebird crepe paper and the corners tied with wee blue bows. Little
cut-out bluebirds hung from the slender handles and bore the names of
the individual guests.
When they said good-by, the guests all declared that they had had a
bluebirdy time, which in other words meant that Betty had planned very
happily.
A HELLO PARTY
The invitations to this party read as follows:
_Hello! hello! hello!
A party's on the wire;
And you must surely go
Or else arouse my ire!
Friday evening
Eight o'clock_
The affair was planned by one girl to announce the engagement of a
chum, and of course the object of the party was not revealed in the
invitations.
All kinds of jolly games were played to pass the evening, and one
pleasant feature was "A Telephonic Conversation" by Mark Twain
rendered by a good reader.
The telephone was the keynote of the evening and played a prominent
part in the table decorations. A big blue paper bell such as one
sees in front of telephone booths hung over the center of the table.
Beneath it was a low bowl of forget-me-nots of which the guests did
not see the significance till later.
The candles were white with blue bell-shaped shades, and at each
person's plate as a favor stood one of the tiny glass telephones seen
in candy stores, full of candies.
The place-cards each bore a mock telephone number, such as Sing 1236,
Circle 6320, Joke 5156, Shiver 9315, Groan 231.
The menu was mostly white and served on blue dishes. It consisted of
chicken patties, hot rolls, cream cheese and white grape salad, and
vanilla ice-cream in blue frilled paper cases.
Toward the end of the ice-cream course the hostess asked the guests to
announce their telephone numbers, in turn. Whereupon, each person was
requested to rise from the table and act out his number. This was
comparatively simple and made everyone quite hilarious.
When it came the turn of the hostess, she said that her number was
Springit 42. The two (2), she said, were Elizabeth and John, and
this was the time she had chosen to spring the announcement of their
engagement.
Another way in which the announcement could be made is to prepare
telephone messages of the news and tie them to the ends of blue
ribbons hanging from the tongue of the bell. The hostess may announce
that the "bell tolled" when the guests are allowed to open and read
their messages.
AN APPLE SHOWER
A girl who was very fond of apples in every form, so much so that all
her friends knew about it, was given a clever shower after she became
engaged.
The invitations were cut in apple shape and tinted a little with red
and green water colors. The following verses voiced the plan of the
party and notified the guests:
_Invitation to a Shower_
_Apples, apples everywhere
Will doubtless make up half the fare
On Elsie's future menu pad,
As they are Elsie's greatest fad.
So if you'd keep that fact in mind
In shower presents--'twould be kind;
Send it to me the day before
And come on Saturday at four_.
_January the twentieth
At Mary's house_.
The first amusement of the afternoon was an apple-guessing contest,
the names of different varieties of apples to be guessed from literal
definitions, thus: The Royal Apple--. King. After that there was an
apple-peeling contest in Hallowe'en fashion and each girl threw the
peeling over her left shoulder to discover the initial of her future
husband.
Immediately following this, the hostess, with the help of one of the
other girls, brought in a big bushel basket apparently filled with
huge rosy apples, and set it down before the guest of honor.
When the green ribbon around the stem of each make-believe apple was
untied, the red crepe paper opened out, disclosing, in wrappings of
soft cotton, a variety of gifts for the apple-loving girl.
There was an up-to-date corer and a plate for baking apples, a fat
plush apple pincushion for the kitchen, a red apple "bank" with a slit
for savings, one of the beautiful Wallace Nutting photographs of a New
England apple tree in full pink and white bloom, an artistic brown
basket for apples to be kept on the buffet or used for the breakfast
table, and a delightful fruit bowl with an apple border.
One girl had contributed a little booklet of choice apple recipes, a
jar of apple butter and another of home-made apple sauce. One artistic
member of the group had stenciled a crash table runner for the porch
table with a conventional apple design in yellow and orange and green,
and another girl put the same design very decoratively on a round box
of painted tin.
Two of the prettiest gifts were a cunning sports handkerchief with a
cluster of apples stamped in one corner, and a smart flat silk hat
ornament in the shape of three apples.
Before the happy bride-to-be had finished exclaiming over her gifts,
the hostess served buffet refreshments that were as pretty as they
were delicious. There were little individual molds of pink apple
tapioca, topped with whipped cream and accompanied by small home-made
cakes, frosted uniquely. Each one had in the center of its white icing
a miniature apple bough as a decoration, made from two red maraschino
cherries, two leaf-shaped pieces of green angelica and a bit of
citron.
As a surprise for each girl, the hostess had provided a tiny bunch of
apple sachets, easily made from scraps of apple-colored silks.
"I like apples more than ever now that I've begun to see their
possibilities," the guest of honor declared.
AN OLD ROSE SHOWER
For a girl who was very fond of everything rose-colored, her friends
planned an "old-rose" shower on Valentine's Day.
As a result, among the gifts were rose-colored silk stockings, a
rose-flowered silk party bag, an old-rose boudoir cap, slippers to
match, and towels with old-rose initials. Each gift was wrapped in
white tissue paper and tied with old-rose ribbon, and they were
all presented on a big tray, the bottom of which was rose-flowered
cretonne under glass.
The refreshments were raspberry ice and tiny cakes frosted in rose and
white, and each guest carried away as a favor a wee glove handkerchief
with an old-rose border.
A KITTY SHOWER
It sounds odd, but the engaged girl for whom it was given was so very
fond of pussy cats that her chum knew that a kitty shower would just
exactly suit her.
The invitations, written on cats cut from heavy paper, read this way:
_Since Elizabeth Ann is so fond of the kitty
Don't you agree that 'twould be a great pity
If we missed a good chance now for making a hit
By each bringing her some kind of a kit_?
The bride-to-be suspected nothing when she was asked to a kitty
luncheon at her chum's house.
The table had as decorations a centerpiece of pussy willows and yellow
tulips, and the candle shades were made of yellow parchment paper with
black silhouettes of cats running around them.
At each girl's place was a tiny china cat with a yellow ribbon bow on
its neck to which was tied the place-card.
There was no attempt to carry out the kitty idea in the menu, but it
was yellow throughout. The first course was grapefruit, then followed
scalloped oysters garnished with lemon slices, chicken and mayonnaise
salad, individual baked custards, and sunshine cake.
Upon withdrawing from the table, it was announced that "Pussy was in
the well," and forthwith a deep cylindrical waste-basket trimmed with
pussy willows was brought in and set before the guest of honor, who
was requested to be the one to "pull pussy out."
With a dawning understanding of the meaning of this, the bride-to-be
reached in and drew one by one from the waste-basket the "kits" which
had been placed there for her. Each one was tied with yellow ribbon
and had a black cat pasted on it.
The gifts were all very clever. There was a traveler's sewing kit,
a small blacking kit, a wee laundry kit for motoring, a handy kit
containing baggage tags, rubber bands, and the like, an emergency kit
with safety pins and threaded needle for her handbag, a guest towel
with a cross-stitch kitty on one end, a cream pitcher and sugar bowl
with a kitten border, a quaint kitten door stop, a painted wooden
kitten twine holder, a pair of Angora skating gloves, an odd little
sewing apron with linen cats appliqued on the corners, and a knitting
bag of cretonne which pictured Puss-in-Boots prominently among other
Mother Goose People.
When the excitement of the shower was over, a guessing contest was
played, each answer being a word in which the syllable "cat" figured.
This very jolly afternoon ended with a really hilarious game of
Puss-in-the-corner.
A CAMP FIRE SHOWER
A jolly crowd of young people who had been camping together a great
deal gave a lively shower to two of their number who were announcing
their engagement.
The affair took place in the city in the winter time and was very
informal.
After the "bunch" had gathered, someone suggested that they play
charades, one of their favorite diversions.
The engaged persons were chosen to sit with the hostess before the
open fire and pretend they were in camp. The word selected was not
made known to them, however.
The others all retired into the next room and came back shortly,
wrapped in raincoats and sou'westers, each one carrying a knobby
package.
"Shower!" they shouted in chorus, throwing their bundles at the group
by the fire. The parcels contained all kinds of camp conveniences.
There was a camp kit containing knives and forks and spoons, a
collapsible drinking cup, a thermos bottle, a pocket compass, an
electric flashlight, a folding mirror, a pocket corkscrew, a folding
camp grate, a folding camp stool, a folding alcohol stove with a pot,
and a pocket camera.
The engaged couple were taken entirely by surprise, for they had
supposed the party to be only one of many sociable evenings which the
crowd were in the habit of having.
The refreshments were reminiscent of camp and were served on wooden
plates around the fire in picnic fashion. The menu consisted of hot
bacon and roll sandwiches, dill pickles, coffee, and marshmallows
toasted over the flames.
A "ONE I LOVE" SHOWER
The invitations were made of white water color paper cut in the shape
of daisies, with centers tinted yellow. Scattered over the petals were
the following lines:
"_One I love, two I love,
Three I love I say,
Come and see if this is true
On St. Valentine's Day."
(or "Friday next, I pray_")
On all the invitations but the guest of honor's was added: "In honor
of Marion's engagement. Please send your remembrance to me the day
before."
This direction was put on so that the gifts could all be wrapped in
advance by the hostess in white tissue paper, tied with yellow baby
ribbon and a big artificial daisy tucked into the knot. Piled on a
tray they were brought to the surprised little bride-to-be on the
afternoon of the party. The entertainment fulfilled the promise of the
invitation in this way: A large paper daisy with many petals was hung
against the wall and each guest was given a pointer and asked to
select a petal at random. On the back of each petal was written a
little fortune rhyme somewhat on the order of this one:
"_Five! he loves--good pumpkin pie,
So learn to cook it--thus say I_."
The refreshments were served in buffet style in the dining room. In
the center of the table was a blossoming pot of marguerites. There
were individual daisy salads, formed by little mounds of chicken salad
covered with yellow mayonnaise and surrounded by a fringe of petals
cut from the whites of hard-boiled eggs. With the salad simple bread
and butter sandwiches were eaten.
As a second course, frozen custard in paper cups with borders of white
paper petals was served with squares of angel cake, frosted in yellow,
and squares of sunshine cake, frosted in white.
The principal feature, however, and the final one, was the favor pie.
A big imitation daisy was made from a round basket, by covering the
top with yellow paper and surrounding the edge with as many petals
as there were guests. Each guest was asked to pull a petal from the
daisy, and in so doing drew from the basket a tiny doll dressed like
a "rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, merchant or
chief." The girl whose fate was already assured had been guided to
choose a particular petal and her favor doll proved to be dressed in
the garb of her fiance's profession.
FORTUNE RHYMES FOR A "ONE I LOVE" SHOWER
1. If you'll only wait a while
Some one nice will make you smile.
2. You will have to choose between
Walking or a limousine.
3. If you only ONLY knew
Who was thinking much of you.
4. At a motion picture show
From the screen your fate you'll know.
5. Something nice you'll sure know
In about a week or so.
6. Don't despise
Hazel eyes.
7. Far across the briny sea
Comes thy lover now to thee.
8. Your career you'll surely ship
And substitute a wedding trip.
9. A dance, a ride, a moonlit lawn,
Your heart will be completely gone.
10. One--two--three--
The third it will be.
11. Beware, beware the eyes of blue
Or they'll surely capture you.
12. Your intellect will meet its equal,
Happy though will be the sequel.
13. A word, a smile, a bow,
Married in a year from now.
14. Try a smile
For a while
To beguile.
15. You will travel far away
Sixteen years from yesterday.
AN INDIAN SUMMER SHOWER
For the girl who is to be married in the winter, an Indian Summer
Shower might be given some November evening. The cards of invitation
can have a little brown Indian wigwam painted in one corner, or cut
out of brown paper and pasted on; or the invitations can be written on
pieces of white birch bark, if you happened to have gathered and saved
any from the summer vacation. Paper imitation of birch bark might also
be used.
Put all the gifts, wrapped in brown tissue paper and tied with gay
ribbons, in a toy wigwam which you can make with three sticks and a
piece of brown burlap. When the right time comes, the engaged girl is
led up to the wigwam and asked to receive the gifts. If there is a
small brother or cousin who can be dressed up in an Indian suit to
hand out the presents, so much the better.
The hostess may make this any kind of shower she wishes.
After the wigwam has been sacked, it would be fun if you could sit
around the open fire to pop corn or toast marshmallows and play the
Indian Summer game of "Pipe Dreams." Each girl writes out an imaginary
dream of the bride's future. The dreams are read by the hostess, and
then each dream paper is consigned to the fire.
The refreshments ought to be very simple, and may consist of hot
chocolate and little chocolate cakes, cone-shaped to simulate wigwams,
or they may be merely apples, nuts, popcorn, and sweet cider. Serve
the nuts and apples in Indian baskets.
A CHRISTMAS TREE SHOWER
For the bride who announces her engagement in December, a Christmas
tree shower might be given Christmas week. Send out cards of
invitation in the shape of small Christmas trees, or else paste or
paint little evergreen trees on white cards. Ask the guests to bring
something small enough to be hung on a little Christmas tree. The
bride should be asked to come a little later than the others, so that
they may have time to hang their gifts on the tree.
The tree may be as elaborate as you wish to make it. Where trees
are hard to procure, a cunning little one on a table is quite large
enough. It can be decked with gold and silver hearts and candy kisses,
and on its branches should hang the shower gifts, prettily wrapped and
tied.
When the bride arrives, she must strip the tree. Among its treasures
may be English walnut shells, gilded and tied together, with fortune
verses inside.--The hostess provides one of these for each guest.
The refreshments may consist of sandwiches cut in the shape of
Christmas trees and filled with green pepper and cream cheese; caraway
cookies cut in the shape of Christmas trees; and hot chocolate, with a
sprig of evergreen tied by a tiny bow of red to each cup-handle.
This affair could be planned specifically as a handkerchief, hosiery
or kitchen shower.
WEDDINGS
Following naturally on the engagement announcement and bridal showers
come the wedding plans.
If the bride's house is small, a church wedding may be the solution
for her, or else she may plan a house wedding with just a few chosen
friends and relatives present.
Very often, if a church wedding is planned, there is a reception
afterward at the bride's home. If only a few guests are invited to it,
a wedding breakfast or dinner may be served, but if a large number of
people are asked, buffet refreshments are sufficient.
According to the different seasons of the year, the weddings may take
on varying characters. Spring, summer, fall and winter weddings,
indoor and outdoor weddings, all have their own special charms.
SUMMER WEDDING DECORATIONS
Every girl can have a pretty wedding--especially if she lives within
reach of the free woods and fields or in a place of gardens and
shrubbery.
Wild roses and wild clematis vines with ferns from the woods are
lovely in a country church where festoons and garlands are often
needed to adorn the bare walls.
Banks of black-eyed Susans with outdoor ferns, bowers of snowy dogwood
in season and the fluffy wild pink azalea are very decorative, and so
are the spring and early summer shrubs: syringa, deutzia, flowering
almond and Japanese snowball.
Mountain laurel, with its exquisite pink flowers and glossy green
leaves, lends itself particularly to church decoration. Ropes of the
leaves may be looped from the roof to the side walls; and the blossoms
massed in the front of the church make a fitting background for a
bride and her pink-clad attendants.
In the South, Cape jasmine, in the Far West, the golden California
poppies and carnations, are beautiful to use. Of course, nothing is
lovelier than roses--pink and white--and should they prove scarce
they can be successfully supplemented with pink and white peonies,
especially for church decoration purposes.
Meadow rue in great misty clumps as it grows, arranged with tawny
field lilies and dark green wood ferns, is remarkably striking in a
church.
At one home wedding, big loose bunches of feathery grass, buttercups,
daisies, and clover in brown earthern jars filled the corners of the
living-room, and in the bay window, where the ceremony took place,
tall graceful sprays of Queen Anne's lace arranged with plenty of
green, made an artistic background. Glass vases filled with it stood
on the window sills and on the floor, the tops of the floor bouquets
hiding the window receptacles.
In the dining-room a bowl of pink and white clover occupied the center
of the table and there were window boxes of the same sweet flower.
THE TABLE DECORATIONS
Whatever color scheme is used in the other parts of the house, an
entirely different one may be carried out in the dining-room. Some
suggestions for simple table decorations in various colors follow:
1. Large low bowl of blue and pink forget-me-nots in the center of the
table, with candle shades of white, painted with forget-me-not sprays.
2. Garden basket or glass basket of yellow roses and honeysuckle with
graceful sprays of honeysuckle vines trailing to the corners of the
table, yellow candle shades.
3. Old-fashioned bouquet of garden flowers in old-fashioned
vase--snapdragons, lark-spur, coreopsis, babies' breath,
mignonette--old-fashioned stiff little artificial bouquets in white
lace paper for favors.
4. Hanging basket of pink and lavender sweet peas and smilax over the
table, with smilax reaching to the corners of the table and caught
with pink and lavender tulle bows.
5. Wood maidenhair ferns and pink garden roses, tiny ferns scattered
over the tablecloth, and rose-colored candle shades.
6. Wild clematis vines from ceiling over table to four corners, and
low bowl of wild roses in center beneath sprays.
7. Bachelors' buttons and mignonette in the center of the table
connected with small baskets of mignonette at the corners of the table
by ribbon matching the blue bachelors' buttons, tied on the handle of
each basket.
8. Scarlet poppies in silver vase, silver candlesticks and shades.
9. Large bowl of "Jack" roses in the center on a table mirror, with a
single large Jack rose in a slim flower holder at each corner of the
table.
10. Wicker basket of June garden pinks (white and pink) with shower
of tiny bells hung on pink ribbons above them from the chandelier or
ceiling.
MENUS FOR THE BUFFET LUNCHEON
Many dining-rooms are too small to have a wedding breakfast served at
the table, and for that reason buffet luncheons are most popular.
The dining table is decorated with flowers and often lighted with
candles under colored shades, and on it are placed extra supplies of
silver and small dishes of olives, nuts and bonbons.
As the guests leave the receiving line, they move informally toward
the dining-room, where they stand to be served. If the wedding
reception takes place directly after a ceremony in the morning, or at
high noon, the refreshments are more elaborate than at an afternoon
affair and the guests may be seated to be served in the different
rooms.
When a caterer is not employed, and the serving of the refreshments is
managed by the hostess herself, it is a pretty and practical plan to
ask several young girls to help in the dining-room. They should see
that the guests are promptly supplied, and can relieve them of their
plates when they have finished.
Below are half a dozen good menus for buffet wedding breakfasts and
receptions, varying in degree of formality to suit individual needs.
I
BOUILLON
SALTED CRACKERS
CHICKEN PATTIES
OLIVES
PINEAPPLE SALAD
SMALL LETTUCE SANDWICHES
NEAPOLITAN ICE CREAM WITH FRESH STRAWBERRIES
COFFEE
CAKE
II
CREAMED SWEETBREADS
CHERRY SALAD
WATERCRESS SANDWICHES
RASPBERRY ICE
MACAROONS
III
CHICKEN SALAD
FINGER ROLLS
FROZEN CUSTARD
SUNSHINE CAKE
IV
SCALLOPED CRAB MEAT
BREAD AND BUTTER SANDWICHES
STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
ANGEL CAKE
V
ICED CLAM BROTH WITH WHIPPED CREAM
SALTED CRACKERS
COLD VEAL LOAF
SARATOGA CHIPS
OLIVES
PINEAPPLE ICE
SMALL CAKES
VI
ICED CONSOMME
SALTED CRACKERS
CHICKEN CROQUETTES
ROLLS
FRUIT SALAD
UNSWEETENED CRACKERS
LEMON CREAM SHERBET
SMALL HOME-MADE COOKIES
THE FAVORS
For wedding favors at a wedding breakfast or reception a number of
interesting little souvenirs can be inexpensively prepared. For
instance, there are wee fans (bought at the doll department) with the
date lettered on each; tiny straw baskets that look like the one
the flower girl carries and are filled with very small artificial
forget-me-nots and rose-buds; airy butterflies of white and pale
yellow silk, to be fastened to fine threads above the table in the
dining-room, where they flutter realistically over the flowers
beneath.
More frivolous are very diminutive bridesmaid's hats, and at the
wedding of a bride who is going to travel far away there may be small
boats, either real or of cardboard, with a flying flag of matrimony at
the masthead.
The old-fashioned posy gift cards with clasped hands are quaint; so
are the little nosegays in white paper frills, and every guest will
like a box of bride's cake.
TWO SUMMER WEDDINGS
A WILD ROSE WEDDING
A wild-rose wedding which one bride planned was wonderfully
attractive. In one corner of the living-room an arch of woven wire was
erected, and covered with graceful wild clematis vines and wild roses.
On each window-sill stood a jar of wild roses, and the mantel was
banked with them.
The two bridesmaids wore pale green dresses, and carried baskets
overflowing with wild roses; the maid of honor wore a gown of
wild-rose pink, and carried an arm bouquet of wood maidenhair ferns
and wild clematis.
The dining-table was decorated effectively. A crystal bowl filled with
wild-rose sprays which trailed over the sides and along the table was
placed in the center on a mat of hardy sword ferns. From above the
middle of the table four garlands of wild clematis were looped down to
the edge of the round table and held with bows of green tulle.
Glass dishes of olives and pink, green, and white candies on the table
still further carried out the color scheme.
The menu, which was served in buffet style, was pink and white. It
consisted of strawberry and pineapple cocktail, with a sprig of green
mint in each glass, sliced ham and pressed chicken, potato chips, hot
rolls, raspberry ice, white-frosted cakes cut in the shape of bells,
pink-frosted cakes in the shape of hearts.
Fruit punch, pink with strawberry juice and green with mint, was
served on the rose-bowered porch by a pretty girl in a rose-flowered
frock.
A FIELD FLOWER WEDDING
Another country bride used the field flowers for decorating.
Big jars of daisies, buttercups, wild carrot, red clover, and tasseled
grasses stood in the corners of all the rooms and filled the empty
fireplace.
Four little girls, dressed in white with yellow sashes and hair
fillets, carried a daisy chain to form an aisle for the bride and her
attendants, and the ceremony took place under a big bell of field
daisies.
The bridesmaids wore pale yellow georgette gowns, and carried bouquets
of black-eyed Susans, the maid of honor wore old-gold georgette,
lightened with white, and carried a loose bunch of daisies and
buttercups.
In the center of the dining table a high-handled white-enameled basket
held a natural arrangement of sweet white clovers, grasses, and yellow
buttercups, and was linked by several streamers of yellow baby ribbon,
with four smaller white baskets at the corners which held smaller
bouquets of the same flowers. A fluffy yellow bow was tied to the
handle of each basket.
The menu was also yellow and white and consisted of hot bouillon,
sprinkled with grated hard-boiled egg yolks; chicken jelly salad with
mayonnaise; tiny bread and butter sandwiches; frozen custard in ice
cups trimmed with white paper petals, so that each individual serving
looked like a daisy; small squares of sponge cake, and angel food iced
in yellow; yellow and white candies.
The boxes of wedding cake were piled on the hall table, and each one
had a wee daisy blossom tied into the knot of white ribbon on top.
OUTDOOR WEDDINGS
AN ORCHARD PAGEANT
There's no wedding quite so picturesque as the outdoor one. Famous is
the orchard wedding beneath a blossoming apple tree, where the air is
filled with fragrance and the bridal party comes winding through
the trees to the trysting place. It needn't be only a poetic fancy,
either--it's entirely practical, and if you have a comparatively small
house, why not give your guests the beautiful freedom of outdoors
instead of cooping them up in the house?
Mark out the path beforehand by mowing the grass in the chosen
direction. Select plenty of ushers to conduct the guests to the spot
and provide benches and settees for the older folk, who may find it
tiring to stand till the wedding party arrives.
There need be no decorations except the natural ones of the orchard;
preparations may consist of raking out dead leaves and branches.
A victrola may be arranged in the proper place to furnish the wedding
processional--or perhaps some musical friend may be found to play the
violin.
The simpler the pageant, the more effective it will be. First may come
a tiny flower girl in a white frock, swinging a cretonne flowered
sunbonnet from which she tosses apple blossom sprays.
If there are bridesmaids, they should wear the simplest of pink
dresses with pink fillets on their hair or else wide straw hats
trimmed only with a tiny wreath of flowers.
Possibly the maid of honor may add a note of contrast by wearing
forget-me-not blue.
Last of all appear the bride and bridegroom, together, for in an
old-fashioned orchard wedding that is less awkward than for the
bridegroom to come from some other direction. The bride should wear a
simple white gown--formal satin would be out of place.
The wedding breakfast may be served picnic fashion on a long table of
boards decked with apple blossoms. Toasts in strawberry punch are in
order while an orchestra of robins and bluebirds sing in the apple
trees round about--unless the noise drives them away. The little
waiting maids should wear white aprons and white caps with an apple
blossom sprig stuck in the top.
Following them came a flock of flower children, tiny girls and boys
scattering flower petals from the high-handled baskets swinging in
their chubby little hands.
Last of all, four abreast, came the bride and bridegroom, with the
bride's mother, who gave her away, on the right of the bride, and
the best man on the left of the bridegroom. The ribbon girls had
accompanied the procession at the proper intervals holding the aisle
ribbon, and the last two brought up the rear, winding up the ribbon as
they came.
The reception took place immediately afterward on the lawn, and the
guests were served with ice-cream and cake wherever they chanced to be
by the attentive ribbon girls.
In the back yard at a long table a colored caterer superintended the
service.
Altogether it was a most successful wedding and at the same time a
fairly easy one to plan since there was no question of overcrowding in
the house, although in case of rain it could have been managed there.
A WEDDING ON THE LAWN
A girl who lived in a small town and had a big lawn chose to be
married outdoors in August. The blossoming hydrangea hedge in front of
the house was made thicker with small evergreen branches stuck down
into the ground. One corner of the yard where there was a natural
alcove curving in among the shrubs, she picked out for the wedding
itself.
The porch was decorated with Japanese lanterns and flowers, and
beforehand the guests gathered in groups there or on the lawn.
When it was time for the ceremony, some girl friends of the bride
marshalled the guests to the chosen place and then returned to the
house to act as ribbon girls. There were about a dozen of them in
light summer dresses, and the first couple, holding the ends of long
white ribbons, preceded the bridal groups, roping off an aisle across
the lawn and among the spectators.
A chorus of young musical friends came first, singing the words and
music of Lohengrin.
FALL WEDDINGS
A BLUE AND GOLD WEDDING
September and October weddings are always popular, partly perhaps
because of the decorating possibilities of the autumn season.
Goldenrod and wild asters one thinks of for early fall. At one evening
home wedding where this blue and gold color scheme was used, the
stalks of plumey golden rod seemed to be growing naturally along the
stair rail; they were held in place at the uprights.
The rooms were hung with blue and golden globes of lights--in reality
paper lanterns--sheltering electric bulbs. The fireplace held masses
of goldenrod, and blue jars holding wild asters crowned the mantel,
the tables, the piano, and the wide window sills.
The bridesmaids wore gowns of yellow organdy and the maid of honor an
aster blue costume.
In the dining-room a dull gilt basket of blue asters occupied the
center of the table set for a buffet repast, and a bow of blue and
golden tulle fluttered from the handle of the basket.
The favors were tiny kewpie dolls, wearing frilly skirts and caps,
some of blue and others of yellow. The blue were for the men, the
yellow for the girls.
OAK LEAVES AND COSMOS
When oak leaves begin to glow with tawny splendor, another girl
celebrated her wedding. The house was a bower of rich, deep red and
brown foliage, and the "bridey" touch came in with the pale pink
garden cosmos that was used.
Cosmos made the background for the wedding group, and was arranged in
feathery masses wherever it might contrast with the dark oak leaves.
The wedding was in the late afternoon, and after the sunset light had
faded the pink candles began to glow rosily under soft pink shades.
The dining-room table was lovely with pink candle-light and pink
cosmos as a centerpiece on a mat of oak leaves. There were pink and
white candies and raspberry ice was served with the tiniest of pink
and white and green _petites fours_.
THREE WINTER WEDDINGS
A CHRISTMAS WEDDING
The first girl lived in a country town and evergreens in the woods
near by were plentiful. The wedding was a Christmas one, and took
place in the late afternoon. Garlands of graceful ground pine were
wound over the banisters in the hall, and draped over the doorways to
hang down halfway on each side against the ivory white wood-work. In
the living-room, two little Christmas trees, lighted with tiny white
candles, formed an alcove where the bridal group could stand.
The table in the dining-room was decorated for a buffet luncheon in
holiday red and green. There was a centerpiece of red roses, red silk
candle shades shading white candles in clear glass candlesticks, and
tiny green Christmas ferns scattered on the white cloth.
The menu had the same color harmony, and consisted of consomme, salted
crackers, oyster patties, chicken jelly salad with green mayonnaise,
salad rolls, olives, pistachio ice-cream in holly-decked cases, little
cakes with green icing and silver bonbons stuck on top, and coffee,
with green mints.
A RAINBOW WEDDING
The second bride lived in the city and had a rainbow wedding. The
usual green of potted ferns and palms formed the background of
decorations, but over the rounded archway which opened into a small
alcove a "rainbow" of tulle--rose, pale pink, yellow, green, blue, and
lavender--was arranged. Pink and yellow roses with green foliage were
supplemented in the living-room by blue and lavender tulle on the
vases. The six bridesmaids wore gowns which matched the tulle rainbow
and they carried pink roses.
On the table in the dining-room was a bowl of pink roses, and from the
table dome a myriad of baby ribbon streamers in the same varied colors
came down at six points, and were held in place by six fluffy favor
dolls, dressed in tulle to match the six bridesmaids, to whom they
were afterward given as souvenirs.
The menu consisted of chicken a la King, small sandwiches, olives,
Neapolitan ice-cream, fancy frosted cakes, and coffee.
A COLONIAL WEDDING
The third girl, with a delight for old-fashioned ways, was followed by
six maids in quaint Colonial gowns of plain or flowered silk, no
two costumes alike, save for soft white lace fichus. Black velvet
neckbands, powdered curls, and "nosegays" of small pink carnations in
lace paper holders quite carried out the lovely effect.
The old-fashioned rooms were hung with smilax and asparagus fern, and
in every window stood a pot of flowering fuchsias.
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