You may have concluded at some point that I’m not exactly a style guru. If so, you are correct.
Just ask the friend who does my hair—she’s thrilled if I agree to something other than a blunt trim straight across. I often forget to wear makeup, even though my face would certainly benefit from daily attention and improvements. And then of course I waltzed around town wearing a cute blue dress earlier this summer only to discover I was waltzing in a nightgown.
Clearly, style is not my area of expertise.
And yet….I’ve realized that adding a few classy touches to my life is nice. I’m not talking big changes—just everyday things that make me feel a little more civilized.
So I threw together a list of simple ways to class up one’s life a notch. (But don’t panic if you’re like me and can barely get your kitchen countertops cleared off and wiped down—these ideas really are simple, and are only a notch classier than my usual plain, laid back, inelegant, casual existence.)
- Goblets. Drink everyday beverages from goblets. I picked up a pair of pretty goblets from a neighbor’s garage sale and drank my iced tea from one. Nice. The kids think so, too–use goblets for their milk, juice and Kool-Aid. If someone accidentally breaks one, no big deal. Keep your classy cool and simply go get another from Goodwill for 50 cents.
- A Toast. Now that you’re holding glasses with a stem, how about a toast? “Here’s to unexpected elegance”–ching, ching. Seriously, a little toast gets our minds thinking differently. What is special about our lives? How can I piece together a one- or two-sentence speech? It’s an interesting little exercise for our kids (me, too). At lunch today, we held our glasses high for French bread sandwiches, garage sales (oh, so classy), and soccer. The toasts themselves weren’t that stylish, but they’re a start. Of course, teach the kids restraint right from the start so that they go easy on the chinging, or you may find yourself with a cracked goblet on the first day.
- Skirts in Summer. I’m normally a casual, sporty shorts gal in the summer, but taking a tip from Big Mama, I wore a cotton skirt with a plain, simple T-shirt the other day to celebrate the record-breaking Midwestern Indian summer. I felt sassy and classy, while remaining relatively comfortable in the 90 degree heat. Big Mama wrote, “[M]y answer to a sweatsuit alternative for summer is a cotton skirt with a t-shirt and flip-flops. It’s cute, it’s cool, and it’s casual. Throw on a denim jacket and it transitions you to fall. It gives the illusion that you’ve put some effort into your wardrobe…And I am all about the illusion of effort…Smoke and mirrors, ladies. Smoke and mirrors.” So…drink another goblet-filled toast to smoke and mirrors, people. Class it up with the illusion of effort.
- A European Course. Serve something kind of European at dinner. I skimmed the book French Women Don’t Get Fat a few weeks ago, and one idea Mireille Guiliano had was to slice tomatoes, spread them out on a bed of lettuce, salt heavily and sprinkle them with goat cheese. Simple to prepare with an unexpected flavor combination (for a normally unclassy American). And delicious (you could substitute feta, if you like). That’s just one idea of many simple courses one could add to dinner (another common dish is to serve each person a slice of melon with a slice of prosciutto as a course before what we would call the entree. It would, in France, actually be called the entrée–the “entry,” if you will, to the main dish.). Go ahead, drink another toast to goat cheese and French simplicity: “Vive la chevre! Vive la simplicité!”
- Candles at dinner. They’re cheap, and the kids love ’em. Turn off the lights and they’re even an alternative source of lighting in this age of low-impact adaptations. Might as well make it a regular thing. It’s funny, but when we use candles at dinner, the kids are usually quieter, less restless, and a bit kinder and more reflective. It makes me wonder why I’ve been so stingy with candles in the past. All those rowdy, tiring dinners might have been redeemed with the magical, classy touch of low lighting. So where are we? Let’s see….Goblets. Cotton skirts. A tomato salad with goat cheese. Candles. What’s next?
- Classical music. Now, I don’t mean to advance from a tiny notch classier to downright snobbish, but honestly, something happens to the family when we play classical music during dinner. Just as the candles seem to have a calming effect, classical music seems to provide a classier mood and mentality. Even kids who prefer rock or pop or country will tolerate classical style music if it’s just “dinner music.” Stop by the library to borrow a Vivaldi CD, or just flip on the classical station and accept whatever they have to offer.
- Flowers. While we’re still at the dinner table, may I suggest setting out a simple bouquet of flowers beside the candles? Today, I picked six or seven flowers from the garden and stuck them into glass Coke bottles for vases. The kids loved them. Class meets casual. I know a few classy ladies who can serve meals in the dining room with kids all around while an ornate vase bursting with roses graces the space, but I’m just a daisy-in-a-Coke-bottle gal most of the time. I guess I’m casually classy when I’m classy at all, and this illustrates why I qualified this whole post by saying it would only be classier by “a notch.”
- Scarves. I’ve seen them on French women every time I visit The Belgian Wonder’s family, and I always think how classy they look. Women wear scarves a lot in Belgium and France–they’re a simple way to make an outfit look special. Here’s a video with instructions for how to tie/knot them.
- Posture. I’ve been a sloucher, but in recent years I’ve worked on improving my posture because women who sit and stand up tall have always seemed so much classier to me than those who slouch. It’s something that doesn’t cost me a cent, is a healthy habit, and offers an air of confidence–compensating for the days I wear a nightgown to the coffee shop and forget to apply lipstick (or mascara, or blush, or foundation).
- Yes. You’re going to think I’m such a hillbilly, but I have listened to the children and realized a grave error in my speech patterns. They mirror my unsophisticated habit of responding with “yeah” and even “yep” in place of “yes.” I think at some point in my life, I attempted to be cute by answering “yep,” and somebody must have chuckled, so it stuck. I’m trying to switch to the straightforward, clear, and far classier, “Yes,” but it’s hard; I’m shocked at how ingrained the lazy “yeah” and silly “yep” have become.
* Bonus Tip: Slow Down Speech. As I mentioned in a recent post, I talk too fast. Dad reminds me of it nearly every time we gather. It’s a hard habit to break, but I’m sitting up straight at the dinner table, goblet in hand, with a simple toast on the tip of my tongue, attempting to speak slowly and clearly, enunciating every word distinctly, including the final “s” in “yes.” I am. Oh yes, I am.
So there you have it: Ten simple ways to class up one’s act on an everyday basis.
Thanks. I like these tips.
what a great list! thanks for sharing.
Lovely tips. I’ve always enjoyed a drink more from a lovely glass…
Great tips! I’m trying hard to say “Yes” more often because hearing my 2 1/2 year old mimic my “Yeah” responses is not flattering!
Thanks for the scarf link. I need that help!
oh i loved this post! i’m going to email the link to my sweetie so he can know what i want for my bday! he keeps asking and i keep having no suggestions but just thinking about a casual yet classy candle lit dinner with our monkeys sounds perfect! i am already smiling :O)
fresh flowers on the table right now. makes it feel special around here. great tips! i may even try the skirt thing tomorrow.
I’m big into the skirt thing as well! Love them! If you keep your eyes open Old Navy brings out some really cute/longer skirts in early summer. Once they sell out they are gone forever.
Thanks for this post. A great reminder to make ordinary life a little more special.
I love all your tips but number 10 really resonates with me.
Really great ideas! And I definitely agree about the “yeah” versus “yes”. I never thought it sounded bad until now – when I’m hearing it echoed in my own little girls.
Great tips….we could use some class around here.
The only unfortunate thing about the skirts is I have too many spider veins to pull it off. Rats! Maybe a scarf tied around the waistband of my jeans?
I just read the nightgown post. You’re too funny. But hey, in a world where boys walk around with their pants worn lower than their underwear, and girls wear PJ bottoms outside…you’re nothing but stylish, LOL!
I like your tips. I tend to talk too fast, myself. It’s a Noo Yawka thing, I think. Not sure where you’re from, but I would guess the Northeast. Oh, wait…you say ‘ yep.’ Never mind.
My other big thing is to remember there is an “R” at the end of certain words. And a “G” at the end of many verbs, LOL!
Well, we try, don’t we? Onward and upward!
Great ideas! Since I have all boys sometimes I tend to bypass those extra little touches. But they need some class, too, whether they realize it or not. 🙂
I especially appreciated the link about scarf tying. I had just been wondering what were some current ways to wear them. I used to wear scarves when I was in college over 25 years ago and still have some but didn’t know if the way they were worn then was the way they’re worn now.
Those are great tips. The astromeria (SP??) at the grocery store last about 2 weeks if you trim them and change the water a couple of times. Just shake them upside down before you buy them to make sure they’re still fresh!
I totally adore this list. I’m the only female in a family of six, and I can totally find a way to include most of these little details, if not all of them. I honestly skimmed over your entry in the list today, but something made me click the link the 3rd time I looked at it. I’m really glad I did because these are wonderful suggestions. Ta for now dahling!
I’m having so much fun reading all of these responses! Thanks for tips upon tips that some of you offered.
And thanks to all for visiting–it’s always neat to “meet” new people here.
These are great! Little efforts can produce big impact.
I just bought another little pack of candles yesterday. The kids love it and enjoy the privilege of snuffing them out with a snuffer I’ve had for years.
I do, by the way, recommend the snuffer. It keeps them from blowing the wax all over the tablecloth and napkins–if you’re classy enough to be using cloth stuff (we’re not at the moment, but have in the past).
hello it is test. WinRAR provides the full RAR and ZIP file support, can decompress CAB, GZIP, ACE and other archive formats.
I live in the North West of England where it is beautiful and green because it is often cold and wet. I love the long skirt hint. They look good with boots and a fine sweater too – and especially with a well-tied scarf to accessorise. Not being a good scarf tyer myself, I just flick one end over my shoulder, and my three year old grand-daughter does it too. LOL
Lovely! A long skirt with boots, sweater and a scarf? I’ll bet you’re gorgeous!