HOME TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14062, 17 May 1909, Page 3

HOME TOPICS.

.WEDDING INVITATIONS.

WHEN AND IN WHAT FORM THEY

SHOULD BE ISSUED. In- the matter of wedding invitations the notice given varies somewhat, according to the importance of the function —that is; to say, whether it is to be a smart wedding or quiet. In the first instance, the regulation notice is from three weeks to a fortnight; in the second, a fortnight or even less'is not unusual.

The invitations to smart weddings are issued in notes printed in ink, not in silver, while in quiet weddings written notes often take the place of printed. The form of the invitations is as follows Mr. and Mrs. A request the pleasure of Mr. and Mrs. B- s company at the marriage of their daughtei Blanche with Mr. Cecil C ,at St. Mary's Church, Heathfield, on. Wednesday, February 17, at 2.30 o'clock, and afterward at the Cedars. Iv.S.V.P. When the bride is a stepdaughter of ]\f r> A she is referred to in the invitation as Mrs. A -'s daughter, Miss Blanche Blank, but if she is a stepdaughter of Mrs. A the words " their daughter Blanche" are usually allowed to stand. If the reception is given by the uncle and aunt of the bride, " their niece, Miss Blanche Blank," is substituted for the words " their daughter," and, again, if the reception is given by the married sister of the bride, and her husband, the words "their sister" arc substituted for "their daughter," and in every case the invitations are issued in the names of husband and wife, and tho answers should be directed to the mother or other re tive of the bride. • # Occasionally guests are merely asked to witness the ceremony at the church, in the event of a quiet wedding being intended, in which case " no reception ' is put. upon the invitations, which means that friends and acquaintances are only expected to attend at the church, but relatives will meet at the house subsequently. We have been frequently asked, says the Queen, whether a choral service should be held at this style of wedding, and whether floral decorations in the church are in good taste under the circumstances. The answer to _ both these questions is. in the affirmative, always supposing that the wedding does not follow close upon a bereavement, in which case flowers and music would be rather 'out of place. Some brides wear white on these occasions, but it is white cloth or some similar material, and not what is known as bridal attire with its accompanying court train. Whether the bride wears white or grey, a toque takes-the place of a veil, and she invariably carries a sheaf of lilies in lieu of a bouquet, while sometimes she carries a prayer-book and not the flowers. It is very* rarely that bridal attire is worn by a bride when no reception is to follow ceremony. There are, of course, exceptions to this, but the received rule is not to do so.

WAYS OF PACKING. Although every one, as a matter of fact, migrates under "different conditions, and it is impossible to lay out any definite plan which will suit every case, as a general rule a little experience usually resolves itself into a belief in the following tenets of the science of moving ■ Old newspapers are by far the best mediums for packing china and 'glass, in addition to straw and sawdust. Heavy crockery of all kinds must be placed in one receptacle, and Slight articles in separate —several thicknesses of newspaper lining eachwhile plenty of paper rolls should be used to fill up the inside of cups, teapots, jugs, glasses, etc. Tin pails, zinc baths, and wooden tubs arc the best receptacles for carrying kitchen utensils. . Heavy articles should never be stored In wardrobes, which, on the contrary, should bo reserved for pillows, blankets, eiderdowns, and light personal clothing. So far as possible, the hangings and draper. of each room ought to be kept together. Every room in the new house should bear a distinctive number, corresponding labels being fastened to all tho furniture which is destined for it., To one person should be relegated the duty of checking each case, piece of furniture, etc., which is carried from the old house or into tho new one. Upholstered chairs and sofas must be well cleaned and beaten before removal, so as to prevent dust from spoiling the new papers and paint. When moving in heavy furniture, ifc is better to take a door temporarily off its. hinges than to run the risk of craping the new varnish. Carpets and linoleums should be put. 'down before the furniture is taken in, and sheets of newspapers laid over them will preserve them from injur}*. Small pictures may be convenient!}' packed between piles rf cushions and pillows, while in packing large paintings, not only must the canvas itself be preserved from 1 harm, but fragile mouldings should be protected by twisting ropes of newspaper over the frame before enveloping the Whole picture in matting -'.or 1 sacking. A luncheon and tea basket containing sufficient crockery, cutlery, _ and plate, materials for making tea, with etna and spirits, tinned meat or bottled soup, and biscuits, is a wonderful comfort on the day of moving, and will do much to restore flagging energies in the interludes of packing.

WASTE IN THE HOUSEHOLD. What is the best method of buying provisions? . '.i he old-established custom was to purchase them in large quantities, a.nd to keep them in stock. In those days housekeepers thought nothing of buying a barrel of flour or a sack of potatoes, and everything else in proportion.Even at the present time it is often taken for granted that a. large stock of provisions should be supplied. But prudent housekeepers lament over the waste in the stock of potatoes or apples that they have laid in at the > beginning of the colder season, but apparently it seems impossible for them to break through the habits of generations of. matrons. If you have a large family there is an j undoubted saving in -retting in large quantities of provisions. But unless this is the case you will find that the loss by purchasing a good deal at a time is greater than the money you save by this method of ! buying. WHEN NOT TO IJITY. | When it comes, to perishable articles, like vegetables and fruits, and your family is only a small one, you will find it an advantage not to buy 'in large quantities. Was there ever a housekeeper who did not know the trial of " picking, over " apples, potatoes, and other vegetables, and the woe with which she threw away those that wero rotten? Fresh fruits and vegetables are not the only things that perish in the keeping. Have you never bought a case of tinned goods and suffered loss? _ Or have you ever purchased large quantities of groceries and not found they had a trick of diminishing more rapidly simply because there was a jarge stock on hand? Of course, we ought ell to bo strong-minded enough to practise the same economy when the*bin,is overflowing as when it is empty. But are there many housekeepers who always practise .this rigid economy, and surely most of us know the temptations to extravagance given to servants which are afforded by ii large faupply of. provisions in the store cupboard. GREASE ON CARPETS. An excellent jwste for extracting grease from carpets is made ..by mixing fuller's earth with a little ammonia. The mixture should be quite thick, and should be applied with a lavish hand. Let it remain on the carpet over night, then brush it off witn a stiff brush. Sometimes'it is necessary to put oil a second supply. If the colours of the carpet are delicate and there is danger of discolouration, the ammonia may be omitted. Should the tone of the carpet seem to be dull after the gre.ise is cut, the colour may be freshened by sweeping the carpet with moist salt.