Where to place your bag at a restaurant
Mastering Dining Etiquette As we embark on this journey of refinement, one often-overlooked element deserves our attention: the placement of your bag when you sit down at a restaurant. While it may seem trivial, this simple act can speak volumes about your sophistication and consideration for others. 1. The Basics: Bag Placement 101 Let’s […]
Coming Back From Holidays
Setting Autumn Goals Since I was little, the rhythm of my life has followed a cadence marked by the changing seasons. Twice a year, without fail, I’ve embarked on a journey of self-reflection. My first pause happens in September, when the world undergoes a gentle transformation, shedding the vibrant summer as autumn approaches. The second, […]
Etiquette
I remember it like it was yesterday… I was at a magical dinner. As soon as I sat at the table, though, my anxiety prevented me from enjoying the evening: “Which fork is for the appetizer and which one for the main course? I have no idea which glass is for what, since there […]
Napkin
Table napkins allow plenty of creative freedom. According to the art de la table rules, cloth or linen napkins are necessary for formal dinners and are held in place by a silverware ring. Margarita’s Way When setting up a table, I always view napkins as decor. I’ve used them as a base for a menu, […]
List 01/01/23
When I was little, on the first day of every month, I used to write a list of things I wanted to accomplish in the upcoming year: eat healthier, achieve good grades by the end of the school year, and excel in my sports activities. Even though my expectations were modest, I set ambitious […]
2022: The landing
As 2022 came to an end, I found myself at a plateau, after years of climbing. I found myself on a marble staircase landing that allows me to rest and regain strength in order to carry on. Based on the new parameters, I can make plans and move forward into the new year. 2022, thank […]
Table setting – The glasses
The Holy Grail of every table, figuratively and literally, glasses and the way we use them can both facilitate and confuse anyone who does not know how and why we can have many different shapes and sizes on the same table. Margarita’s Way I was always puzzled regarding glasses and the way we are supposed […]
A heartfelt “thank you”
Although we do not celebrate Thanksgiving in Greece, it is an occasion to simply pause for a few minutes and feel the glory of our existence. Gratitude alone takes us beyond the SELF. It carries us deep within and unwraps into the center of our being. It opens the mind and thus we become truly […]
Courage Exercises
Looking back, I gaze at my innocent thoughts of the things that troubled my mind that, at the time, seemed like mountains. Why was reciting poems on national holiday festivities such a demanding task for me? 1. To learn the poem by heart. 2. To recite the poem in front of an audience. 3. To […]
Thriving for half a century
Today, I celebrate thriving for half a century. Wow. What a ride it has been! These 50 years have been marked by personal and professional milestones. An affirmation that I remind myself of, that has stuck with me over the years, and that I want to share with all of you today is: one wave […]
