5 steps to being a poor hostess.

Number 1.
Invite guests for a picnic and when choosing weather remember to hit the 'lousy' button.

Number 2.
Spend much of the 24 hours preceding the event negotiating closed down motorways and unbelieveably long traffic jams en route to the airport. This ensures you are too busy to do any food shopping and replenish your EMPTY cupboards.

Number 3.
Given your guests may have travelled some long distance to the venue it is always a good idea to allow them to supply ALL the food. If feeling generous your own contribution could be water for everyone to drink.

Number 4.
A bracing stroll in a gentle breeze to blow the cobwebs away after lunch can be enjoyable. Should every member of your party end up soaked (be it due to atmospherics or puddle-jumping) and spend the rest of the day with sodden feet this is only to be encouraged as a sign of an agreeable afternoon.

Number 5.
Arrange family friendly activities to stimulate the mind and social intercourse. This may well include lying on the floor on and under every item of bed linen in the house while watching a movie.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you all. Please do come back and visit us again soon up here at The Hilltop Finishing School of Elegance and Grace.


A million thanks to Missus Moog and the Mooglets for making the long journey all the way up here from the water today. We hope your trip home was uneventful and speedy but most of all dry ;-)




pics courtesy of
1. Me. Nearly exactly 6 years ago on the second birthday of the then named Babyman.
2. Sylv. Their room service breakfast in their resoundlingly posh hotel in Ireland last weekend.
3. Sylv. Wedding cake of Irish cousin who was married this weekend just past.
4. CK. Attempt to get black dogs into water in Bournemouth two weeks ago.
5. Me. All three naughty ones in house playing a boardgame last week.