Tiffany Nielsen

Dining Etiquette, Business Etiquette and Children's Workshop

International Etiquette: What to Wear to the Vatican

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Vatican dress codesMy upcoming trip to Italy presents an exciting opportunity to see this culturally rich country through the eyes of its residents. I wonder to myself, what is it like to live in Venice?  How do they manage the hustle and bustle of the tourist in Rome without becoming overly annoyed? What can I do to avoid the stigma of the “Ugly American”?

When David and I traveled through Northern Europe in 2007, it was in Russia that I learned the meaning of “Ugly American.”  I’ll avoid providing details of the experience we found ourselves facing there in order to remain civilly thoughtful regarding this matter, warning only that the scene was ghastly, embarrassing and yes, ugly.  I couldn’t help but take a photo of the Ugly American because life’s little lessons become opportunities to help us all present ourselves at our very best.

My mother taught me to dress nicely when I travel and frequently reminded me that we are an extension of our family and our country everywhere we go. She further instilled the virtues of adorning ourselves appropriately for church and when visiting religious sites, which will come in especially handy this time since churches, including St. Peters Basilica, are a part of my itinerary.  I hear dress codes are strict there.  The last thing I want is to be escorted away from St. Peters by a Swiss Guard for not being properly dressed!  No wonder I am thumbing through guide books and etiquette articles written by others as well as by me, eager to be pretty rather than ugly in Italy.

 What to Wear to the Vatican

If you are looking forward to an opportunity to visit Italy, consider these style tips for visiting Vatican City. They come in handy also for respectful appearance at any religious site:

  • Religions sites request decency while avoiding risqué, revealing attire.
  • Covered shoulders are a must and avoid showing cleavage. Save that for date night!
  • No shorts please. This applies to both men and women.
  • Skirts to the knees or longer.
  • Reasonable shoes, yes. Loud noise makers, blister makers and show stoppers are a “no-no.”
  • Choose class over trend and style over leisure wear.

I look forward, on my return, to sharing what I learn, this time, about the pleasures of traveling as an attractive American.

Ciao!

Robotic Professionalism

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FIRST Team

FIRST Team Gracious Professionalism

Robotic Professionalism 

The opportunity to share all things “etiquette” is, as you know, my calling by design, my chosen job, and my robotic nature.

Meet Michael, a student I met during my collegian business etiquette presentation at Central California’s Reedley College this past Thursday. To his classroom full of bright, aspiring leaders, I asked the question, “When you think of etiquette, what words or thoughts come to mind”? Michael’s answer? “Chivalry.”

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Dining Etiquette and Licking Knives

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Photo courtesy of Google Images

Licking a knife at home is one thing, but licking a knife in public can be seen as an etiquette mishap. Cleaning up what’s left on the blade of a knife could be a personal preference or an old habit for some to break- I get it.

I recently watched a woman in a restaurant lick her knife blade dry. From the tip of the blade to the start of the handle, she didn’t dare let that dressing go to waste.

One problem with licking knives is that it’s dangerous. A bleeding tongue would feel miserable.

If a person interviewing for a job is invited to join a potential employer for a meal, licking salad dressing, butter, or whatever from a knife will likely become an unforgettable moment for the employer. It could also turn out to be a lost opportunity for the applicant. I suppose the interview situation would be different if the job somehow involved knife tricks.

I’ve seen plenty of people use knives as toothpicks, to pry open bottles and so on. So be it. However, licking knives during a job interview won’t necessarily leave a positive impression. Not everyone has stopped caring about etiquette.

Like I said earlier, this may be personal preference or old habits for some. For others, they may not know that there is the option not to lick their knives. In other words, no one taught them any different or they didn’t care to listen.

The moral of the blog is to create awareness and help anyone looking for modern, helpful etiquette tips.

 

© Tiffany Nielsen. All Rights Reserved.

Etiquette Helps Make New Friends

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The timeless Girl Scout song “Make New Friends” plays out in my mind the moment I meet someone new to me.  I highly recommend this magic, considering how much I enjoy working with new as well as old friends. Image expert Marytina, our in-house image consultant and long-time friend, joined the Premier Etiquette team this year.  Then, along came new golden friends Doris Gularte, Corrie Cubillas, Sister Barbara, Mandy Lebow and star student Theresa from Notre Dame High School in Salinas, CA. These angels made our dreams come true through their insight and conviction to share our latest and greatest etiquette program.

Thank you Notre Dame High School for making friends with us! The mother/daughter event challenged the audience to re-establish civility and elegance in their homes, businesses and communities. Gaining self-respect by learning to like exactly who they see when looking in a mirror inspired their determination to go out and make a positive impact on their surroundings. Wow!

California School Loves Etiquette

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Personal image and etiquette leadership were the hot new topics for 25 girls at Valley Preparatory Charter Academy. These smart and sophisticated girls relinquished their Saturday afternoon to hang out with “yours truly.” Keep in mind, they CHOSE to be there.

Mock interviews and confidence building activities broke the ice, helping the young women move comfortably past what they might have feared their Saturday would turn out to be- a boring lesson on how to be nice. Yes, we spoke to them about pleasantries and why they should abundantly use magic words like “please” and “thank you,”  but we also guided them to use the principles of etiquette so they could learn how to make this “life thing” work for them. I’m always surprised when I hear people say that their kids wouldn’t enjoy such a program. Au contraire!

There comes a point in education when we leave scissors and glue behind for more grown-up classroom materials such as computers and interactive white boards. In this case, since we believe it is more fun to interact  than listen to boring lectures about “do’s and don’ts” of how to look and behave, we splashed tables with craft supplies and fashion magazines to open a montage of collage making.  The agreeable chatter of “Oh, I love that!” and “I want these shoes. They are so me,” crafted the perfect opportunity to teach the girls how discover their personal image.

A three course dining etiquette lesson included warm bread, tasty soup and a deliciously prepared entrée followed by a late afternoon dessert. Mix good food with fun tips on how to refrain from grossing people out at the dinner table and you get a pleasant-to-be-around, graceful, enjoyable person.

Each girl received a personal consultation from my in-house image experts Marytina Lawrence and Sabrina Jimenez. Some people might not see how image and etiquette are connected, but they are. Imagine what it is like for a young girl to hear she’s beautiful and perfect just the way she is when statistic show eighty percent of girls find fault with their image?

It was our mission to energize these young women to become the best possible version of themselves.  We owe an abundant amount of gratitude to Executive Director, Shelly Melton, Educator, Lisa Taylor and Nutritional Coordinator, Janice Walstrom (below, third to the right) and her thoughtful team. Without them, this program might not be possible. Thank you!

Be on the look-out for these shining stars. We are so proud of them and we are forever grateful that schools like Valley Preparatory Charter Academy find means to continuously invest in their kids, knowing they deserve every ounce of it.

© Tiffany Nielsen