I’m trying to fix all the issues of the new site, so please bear with all the broken links. Elegantwoman is a very large site and many posts I’ve written were used with old technology (my previous editor couldn’t spell or grammar check) and also, there were many changes in Google on how they would like me to present content to you (they keep changing their minds!)

I had to link to other blogs (but what happens when they decide to shut down? Google does not let me know and I have a hundred broken links)

Then I had to put small images for quicker loading, no now, large images are recommended! People are hungry for images! And then I had to upgrade so that it will load fast etc.

They also had to be very secure https, then of course mobile friendly

Then they had to be integrated with social media blah blah

Then html to wordpress to all sorts of systems, I feel like fainting from thinking about all the changes I’ve made to keep this site.

I must admit I was very overwhelmed, just to be able to put my ideas and thoughts on this site.

I’m also testing on a way to keep in touch so that I can also SEND YOU newsletters and archive them here on my site. I also wanted a space where I can write freely and not have to worry about images, and display, and precise language because this is my little space of freedom!

So, this is my first test. Probably no one will read this because I’m not going to send it out. This has to exist so that I can create this category.

Anyhoo, speak soon!
E

” Good manners: The noise you don’t make when you’re eating soup.

– Bennett Cerf”

I remember a story my friend Natalie once told me about how she lost her appetite when the guy sitting in front of her spat out some food on the table. I hope they weren’t on a date.

I hardly think this is a common occurrence except maybe in certain countries where spitting is accepted in its culture. I know in some other countries, to slurp and eat noisily is indicative of ‘enjoying one’s meal’.

Nevertheless, take a minute now and have a think of your own table manners. What do you think of them?

Now, check if you do these things.

Being the Perfect Dinner Guest

I still have my occasional slip ups at the table, but I know the more I’m aware of them, the better I’ll get or rather, the more I’ll be at ease. Remember, table manners are more than using the right fork. It is also about being a perfect guest, learning the art of conversation and learning to be a host yourself.

I was reading a little bit of history of Colonial Africa, as depicted by Karen Blixen in her classic book ‘Out of Africa
‘. In those days without phones, television, the internet and other entertainment sets and gadgets, at that time and in that place (Africa), conversation was a highly prized art. You could spend five days getting to see somebody, and when you went, you were invited to stay the night. You talked and so the better you are at conversation, the more prized guest you’ll be.

The film Out of Africa is really good! Watch it if you can.

If you have any questions about cutlery etiquette, especially when you’re using cutlery of another culture, just ask. Don’t be afraid to ask for a western set if you find it too difficult. Your host is more interested in sharing a meal with you, rather than see you in an awkward state.

I’ve established a new section “The Art of the Table” and will be adding new articles (usually embedded as links within the section page)

Thank you once again for your support (and patience with me and the development of the site where errors abound), they are greatly appreciated!

Warmest regards to you and your family,

How have you been? Hope all you’ve been well.

For those of you who follow my twitter, you would know that I made some comment about “why is performing so nerve wrecking?” It is probably because you feel as though a large number is standing there and judging you!

Well, recently I had my first time experience of performing, namely, classical singing (without a microphone) in front of a live audience with piano accompaniment.

It was…..let’s just say, an interesting experience. My knees were shaking, my voice was trembling and I felt that I couldn’t breathe. However, I did learn about a couple of things which I think is extremely applicable to elegance.

Lessons On Elegance Through the Art of Performing

Here are the 5 things I learned about elegance through performing:

• #1 You can still communicate something beautiful, no matter where you’re at 
• #2 Use pressure and performance to accelerate your learning 
• #3 Posture is important – for breathing, communication and technique 
• #4 Learn to pretend while coping with nerves 
• #5 Small movements make a huge difference!

My favourite is lesson 1. I will always remember what my teacher said to me forever….
 Read here about my experience and lessons on elegance I learned through performing

 How You Dress Affects Your Life In More Ways Than You May Realize

In another recent article I wrote about 3 weeks back, I pondered about my recent increase in opportunities for interesting experiences and work which I think it is largely due to the way I dress.

I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I wanted to remind myself that how I dress does tell others a lot about me. I still have my off-days. I’m not the ever-so-elegant woman who dresses perfectly all the time. However, the reality remains that the way we dress does influence our lives more than we realize sometimes.

Here is the article:

How You Dress Says a Lot About You (and may affect your life more than you think)

Have you considered what kind of image you are presenting to the world? Is it elegant? 

A BIG THANK YOU …

Thanks for reading!

Shalom (which in Hebrew means wishing you peace, wholeness, perfect health and well-being),

P.s. I tweet randomly about what’s happening in my life on twitter (which may not be related to elegance) and Facebook. While I’m busy reading, researching, planning and writing pages on elegantwoman.org, I occasionally blog.

Books and Courses by Elegantwoman.org

Please see this page.
The shop on elegantwoman.org alongside with a few running advertisements fund the development and running costs of elegantwoman.org.

Go back to The Elegant Woman.

This is going to be a short email because my laptop is running low on battery! I had some time and I wrote a new article about the topic of defensiveness.

It is based on a recent personal experience of how I acted when faced with criticism. I have also realized that the larger your sphere of influence, the more you had better get good with this elegant habit!

Well, here it is! Hope you like it!

Non-Defensiveness – A Trait of a Highly Respected Woman

Elegantwoman.org Site Updates

I’ve hired some help to help with the migration of the fairly massive elegantwoman site to my new server, but it is still not ready yet. Sorry guys. But meanwhile let’s keep contact via social media below.

• Instagram: @elegant.woman
• Twitter: @euniceleong
• Facebook:elegantwoman’s facebook page

I will email again to announce the new site! Thanks everyone! xoxox

Have a great day, thanks for reading,

AND HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Books and Courses by Elegantwoman.org

Please see this page.

The shop on elegantwoman.org alongside with a few running advertisements fund the development and running costs of elegantwoman.org.

Go back to The Elegant Woman.

” Ballet is an expression of the very essence of life; it is the greatest physical and spiritual celebration. Dance is the union of time and space. Its limitations and transitory nature form the very nature of its beauty. It exists only in time and memory. One must constantly keep on seeking it out and rediscovering it. It is a never-ending search for a perfection to which one can only aspire in each successive performance.”
– Woytek Lowski ”

The Nutcracker Ballet – Snow Queen & Snow King

What do the Arts mean to you?

Do you embrace it? Seek to understand it? Or do you feel it is beyond your comprehension and reach?

Sprinkled among the pages of elegantwoman.org, I’ve emphasized that elegance is largely a matter of the heart but also a commitment to on-going education. However, learning about elegance is not meant to be a chore, but rather an enjoyable journey on discovering yourself and the “culture of elegance”…and finding where you fit in. There’s always a place for somebody!

What do I mean by that?

I’ll like to use my latest article about

Art Appreciation to help illustrate what I mean.

To some, the world of art is intimidating. Some feel it is pretentious. Most have a genuine interest, but don’t know where to start. Many had the courage to try but got lost and gave up.

Now, I’m not an art connoisseur but I’ll like to suggest a few ways on how to enjoy the arts and why it is important.

I wrote about my experience about finding ‘my place’ in art. That’s what I mean – you can love art. You can enjoy art. It might take a little while to find ‘your angle’ but when you find it, there are a lot of benefits and fulfillment.

Here are some related benefits:

Read more about
Art Appreciation – How to enjoy the Arts – How to appreciate art

P.s. I’m passionate about Ballet at the moment. I also find myself learning more about music and getting introduced to the Opera. I’ve recently discovered how they are all somewhat connected!

The Meaning of Christmas

Christmas is here and it is the favorite time of the year!

I love Christmas because of the Christmas parties and family gatherings. Everyone is in a mood to meet up. Sometimes I feel we all get so caught up in our own lives, we don’t make enough time for our beloved friends and family.

That is why Christmas is a great time!

Not only that, there are the holidays! It is also a great break from work and who can forget the food and maybe it’s mostly the presents! My email has been bombarded with news of sales and promotions etc.

In the midst of Christmas trees and the beautiful decorated stores, let’s not forget the meaning of Christmas. It is the time to remember that our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ is born. What does that mean? It is a message of hope. Life is already challenging enough … let’s not focus on our mistakes, let’s not despair on things beyond our control instead, let’s believe, and hang on to our faith and hope!

Faith and hope and belief that Jesus saves – not just in the ‘traditional sense’ but He is interested in you, in your success and anything you care about. I always forget that but Christmas is such a great time to remember.

It is also a special time for me to show appreciation to all those I care about. This shows when I give a really great and creative gift. So I try to make the effort!

Elegant Gift Giving

Read more about how to be an elegant gift giver.

Christmas card etiquette

The best part about the gift is actually the Christmas card. I always give a gift with a Christmas card or I would at least write a personal, heartfelt message on the package (if I ran out of Christmas cards).

Don’t forget to write the Christmas card! Say what you need to say now, don’t hold back. There are not many times in life when we get such opportunities to tell someone how much they mean to you.

Christmas Card Etiquette

Need some inspiration on words?

Last year’s Christmas Message

Elegant Gift Wrapping

Also, wrapping is important too. You don’t have to spend a bomb on wrapping – just use a little creativity.

I once received a gift wrapped in beautiful pages of an old bridal magazine. It looked so beautiful with the wedding dresses on beautiful paper.

One of my favorite methods is to use simple brown paper with beautiful ribbons and a little gift card attached. Another favorite thing I like to do is to recycle wrapping material or baskets or boxes that came with bouquets of flowers or gift hampers.

What’s Been Happening

I’ve been spending lots of time with family and friends… and getting my house in order. Renovation threw my ‘house system’ off and now I have to do a Flylady and try to get rid of clutter. It has been a challenge, I’ll admit.

I’m barely coping with my emails! My inbox has been flooded. I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to reply to most of your emails.

Also, it is time of the year where I’ll like to do some reflection of what has happened, how I spent my time and look to the future of what I would love to do…even if it is just dream!

No promises, but I’ll try to blog more on Elegantwoman’s blog and of course write more articles!

A Big Thank You to All of You

Last but not least, I would like to say a big thank you to all of you who has ‘travelled’ with me for the past year. It has been a fun journey, I enjoy reading all your emails, little posts and comments on Facebook. Thank you for sharing with me a bit about your lives and being so encouraging.

I pray you’ll have a meaningful and elegant Christmas.

Let’s look forward to the new year.

I hope you’ll also have some time to yourself to write some new elegant aspirations. Share it with me sometime!

Write your elegant aspirations

Merry Christmas once again to you and your family,

P.s. I tweet randomly about what’s happening in my life on twitter (which may not be related to elegance) and Facebook. While I’m busy reading, researching, planning and writing pages on elegantwoman.org, I occasionally blog.

Books and Courses by Elegantwoman.org

Please see this page.
The shop on elegantwoman.org alongside with a few running advertisements fund the development and running costs of elegantwoman.org.

Go back to The Elegant Woman.

However, I had recently experienced some personal ‘breakthroughs’. And really, they aren’t all that important – they are just some things that I had always wanted to do.

All I had to do was to find an easy way to incorporate 2-3 minutes of practice a day into my daily routine. It doesn’t even have to be done perfectly!

I thought this is a great way to install elegant habits. Or change something about yourself, perhaps in your quest to become more polished.

So what would you like to get better at?

Click here to read how.

Practice one more time!

Announcements: Elegant Woman is Moving

I’m renovating and relocating the website, elegantwoman.org

The domain address will still be the same:
https://elegantwoman.org/

This is in order to serve you (and me) better. This is in spite of the website already undergoing a major change sometime in March this year. I still feel like I’m fighting against the lack of features of my current publishing platform.

I’m spending too much time trying to fix the site and its issues, which I should have spent on research and documenting them (and for you all).

I have so many half-written, and half-produced projects, simply because I cannot keep up. I long to work on them. The site has grown tremendously and I need a better platform, in order for me to focus on what I do best.

However, it is a long work in progress, though I have an ambitious aim to finish by Christmas.

Caution: I may lose contact with you…

I will probably be able to email you (like now) for one or two more times, before it will be some time before I can email again. I’m not quite sure yet because I will have to use a new mailing list provider, and I haven’t figured out the costs and how it works and everything.

When I do, I may also ask you to re-subscribe, that is in order to purge the many dead email addresses (that cost me $$$ to send emails to).

HOWEVER FOR NOW, in order not to miss anything, may I please encourage you to keep in contact via social media below.

• Instagram: @elegant.woman @elegant.woman
• Twitter: @euniceleong
• Facebook:elegantwoman’s facebook page

But not to worry, once everything is set up, there will be that option of receiving the newsletter for those who prefer a personal email from me.

Thanks once again for all your support and patience!

Have a great day, thanks for reading,

Books and Courses by Elegantwoman.org

Go back to The Elegant Woman.

I hope you are having a fantastic August. I just wanted to update you on a new article I wrote this afternoon, inspired by one of my Instagram’s post (@elegantwomanorg)

and my recent incidences with MEAN WOMEN.

I thought about what it is to be a woman of grace. And how I would like to be known for my grace and kindness, and not meanness.

Us women, have the capacity to have such great hearts, yet unfortunately it also means we have the ability to go far to the other end and be extremely mean.

(Ever wonder why there was no such movie called MEAN BOYS?)

You may read my latest article here: Be a Woman Known For Your Grace.

Hope you like it!

Have a great day, thanks for reading,

Are you on Instagram too?

“… Elegantwoman.org on Instagram! Follow @elegantwomanorg or #elegantwomanorg“

I thought it would be a great way to connect with everyone.

Go back to The Elegant Woman.

I hope you are having a fantastic July. I just wanted to update you on a new article I wrote, loosely based on a book I had recently read.

It is about being diligent in being presentable and how we all need some fresh inspiration at some point. Personal grooming does feel like a chore sometimes. How many of you feel this way?

You may read about my light-hearted post here.

Hope all is well with you! If not, have courage and hang in there.

Have a great day, thanks for reading,

Are you on Instagram too?

“… Elegantwoman.org on Instagram! Follow @elegantwomanorg or #elegantwomanorg“

I thought it would be a great way to connect with everyone.

P.s.s. I’m now on Instagram! Find me on #elegantwomanorg @elegantwomanorg

P.s. I tweet randomly about what’s happening in my life on twitter (which may not be related to elegance) and Facebook. While I’m busy reading, researching, planning and writing pages on elegantwoman.org, I occasionally blog.

Books and Courses by Elegantwoman.org

Please see this page.
The shop on elegantwoman.org alongside with a few running advertisements fund the development and running costs of elegantwoman.org.

Go back to The Elegant Woman.

Just a quick announcement to let you know that elegantwoman.org will be moving over to a new design – thus do not be alarmed if you see some inconsistency in the outlook of the site over the next couple of weeks.

This is because I’ve engaged a designer and coder to make the pages more mobile friendly.

Since this is not a Blogger/Wordpress site, I have to manually move each of the 900 pages from the site’s old design to its new one. That would take me a while.

I will also take this chance to fix as many errors as I possibly can, from coding, spelling, typos etc.

I know the old design of elegantwoman.org isn’t exactly the greatest, but I’m feeling a little nostalgic saying goodbye to it. (ol’ sentimental me). Anyway, I hope you like the new one!

Once again, thank you for your support and your patience! Meanwhile, follow me on Instagram! I’m having quite a bit of fun sharing my pictures.

Have a GREAT day!

Love, Eunice

Instagram

“… Elegantwoman.org on Instagram! Follow @elegantwomanorg or #elegantwomanorg“

I thought it would be a great way to connect with everyone.

Have a great day, thanks for reading,

Go back to The Elegant Woman.

It’s been a new year with past ideas and dreams left behind and taking new steps to fulfill new hopes and dreams in the horizon. As I get older, I feel I need to streamline more, as I feel there seems to be more and more demands made on my time.

Looking back, I truly relished the earlier days of my youth, where time was abundant and I could devote a lot more time to a project, a goal or whatever caught my fancy. I smile upon reflection and was glad I seized those endless summers.

Elegance is something that I continue to strive for. There, however is less emphasis on how I look (still decent and as casually beautiful as much as possible) but rather in the choices I make – and how I do things.

Decisions has always been something I hate making.

It’s been a year of narrowing choices and simplifying. I have to figure out how to live my life more elegantly. I may have to cut down going to the supermarket on a whim, or simplify my meals so that I can eat better and healthier but not compromise on my enjoyment. I will have to de-clutter more so that I don’t have so many things in the house to manage…that sort of thing.

Elegance requires thinking, planning, simplifying and making tough choices. It is a harder one, but overall, it actually makes life easier.

*Photo of me taken in Hawaii Jan 2015

Up and Coming

I don’t want to make any promises as I’ve got my certificate in teaching ballet to complete, my job and a host of other things but I’m working on 2 projects for elegant.

1) An elegant DIY beauty book (sold exclusively on elegantwoman.org as it is product & method orientated). I wrote this as a way to archive cultural beauty methods, my research hobby since 2007. I enjoyed uncovering beauty secrets from beautiful mature women.

2) Secondly, I’ve been working on an Manners & Etiquette essentials course. The course is mainly for the daughters for many elegant mothers who had requested for it. My suggestion is they can do it together. The course will focus on essentials, with an fine elegant touch.

Instagram

“… Elegantwoman.org on Instagram! Follow @elegantwomanorg or #elegantwomanorg“

I thought it would be a great way to connect with everyone.

Have a great day, thanks for reading,

Go back to The Elegant Woman.