A HOUSEWIFE’S DIARY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 20982, 10 March 1938, Page 14

A HOUSEWIFE’S DIARY

HINTS ABOUT THE HOME Chestnuts. When roasting, stick each one on prong of toasting fork so as to turn over without burning fingers. Decoration. For filling with flowers, holly, crackers. etc., all nicely arranged, paint an ordinary flat “garden” basket with scarlet paint. Pouch Purses. Three small pouch purses, in graduating sizes and each in a different colour are slung together on a chain by which they are carried and are a substitute for the usual handbag with afternoon or evening clothes. You have one purse for money, a second for beauty gadgets and a third for a handkerchief and any other oddments you may want. Musical Tea-Sets. Some of the newest designs in pottery seem to have been inspired by the feeling that “we must have music.” A charming tea-set had a novel decoration in the form of musical motifs in gold. Flower vases to please ° music lover, or to be found an appropriate place in a music room, resembled “scrolls” of music. Smoking Caps Again. As a contrast to the extremely modem vogue for vivid finger-tips, several little Victorian touches are creeping into favour in feminine raiment From the male of last century, for example, smoking caps, well-embroidered, are being borrowed for theatre or restaurant wear. They are worn at a jauntier angle than the caps that inspired them, but in shape and decoration they are certainly faithful imitations. “Wearing Hearts.” A sentim ntal hint, somewhat reminiscent of a past age, is conveyed in the latest fashion for introducing a heart motif where possible. We shall not, this winter, be wearing our hearts on our sleeves, but we shall be wearing attractive hearts encrusted on bodice fronts, or acting as buckles and clasps. Breast x>ckets. heart-shaped and embroidered in bright colours are particularly liked. The revers of some jackets even manage to repeat the heart outline and open to make a heart shape. Exotic Finger Nails.

Where smart women gather, exoticlooking finger-nails are to be seen. Silvered nails with red rims were coming in for a good deal of observation the other day while their owner was complacently watching a dress parade. Although such distinctive nail colour is still rare in the daytime, with evening dress, more and more women are allowing their fancy to run free in this direction. Plum tones and purple lacquers are often used to harmonise with gowns in these two fashionable shades of the