The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-21
A Novelty Dinner

guests and arranged as u calendar at =
fair, following a plan which Is NEW y
and attractive. W
The idoa Is TO have each place repre- +
sent certain month of the year. the r
entire twelve being suggested arounU
the hospitablc board and to have place
cards. favors and other decorations att
each cover suggest the month which Is :
there Intended. f
Thus the January cover is trirmn,eci 81
with snowdrops, or the place card there,
might be hand painted with this flower
If preferred while the favor is a call
endar for the year. The place plate
at this cover may be laid upon a hel {
of raw cotton snow. ~
For February the favor might take
the form of a hcart-shapcd candy box, b
| IL the occupant OF the seat be a woman :
or silver. hcart-shap ped cigan case, II
| q man. For the place caro- have all
old ia shioned lace paper valentine, -
| the place card could DC n valentine.
while tho favor represents Washing
| toms birthday, another celebration Of:
the Same month, by Ratchet filled
with bonbons, a cooked hat or tho IKE
Have more snow here and sprinkle
with silver dust or draw tinsel rope
around tho cover in tho form OF
wavy circle.
| For March have a daffodi, or Gro.
cusea or any early spring flower. and
! In combine tlon with these have Easter
rabbits or colored Easter eggs or chick
ems Again, wild March hares, cul
| from paper. would be decorative. The
] name Of the guest may be tied around
| the neck of plaster rabbit an East
| err chick.
| For April the entire cover should be
] tricked out with April sells and joke.
! and scattered with the many tinted
| confetti. Have the place card cut out
| and tinted in the shape Of lester head.
with Il cluster OF real little bells tackled
| on to 1t. and in addition to Che name
! of the guest nonsense quotation from
Alice in Wonderland
/ May. nowcry May. is represented by
I, q little basket of vlolets. The handle
! of tho basket should be tall, and from
it arc drawn strands OF dlnferont-col-
ored baby ribbon. somewhat resembling
, a Aiaypnlc. The gift or place card can
! he attached to the handle of the basket
| Another plan would be to have the
cover hero Strewn with flowers and
to have the souvenir an illustrated copy
OF The May Queen" by Tennyson, or
Il collection of verse about flowers.
The flowers at the June cover will he
of roses, and from the ceiling in front
OF this place hangs a tiny Oriental lunt-
ern, with lighted taper inside The
lanterns which arc but a few inches
around should be chosen for this.
| VI course, tueTc are many OlneF NGc-
orations which could he substitutes
When the cover is humorously intended
| and for man Cone who is the head Of
a household particularly. have 1t COW
cred with a strip Of green baZc or pa
per muslin, choosing for tho favor q toy
lawn mower, to suggest the pleasures
of "A commuters life IN June.
For July, If the comic plan Is pre-
fcrrcd replace the ordinary water
glass with huge ono OF iced lemon
ade. and tic tho place card with baby
ribbons 10 the straws thereof
Inclose the gift appropriate for tho
guest who is to sit there in raw cotton
aud brown tissue paper, cut and glued
into the shape Of a huge mosquito
which practically fills tho place plate.
The August cover might represent a
wee tennis court, with the aid OF a
dolls tennis net ana balls. Have
wee doll dressed rs tennis player. ana
on it pin the name Of the guest, writ
ten on card.
For September s;rcw the cover With
u little seashorc sand, fine and dry
which is TO be brushed away before
the meal. and decorate with shells, or
IL It is to he comic, Strew With tiny
crabs and Holsters and their ilk from
the Japanese store. y basket of shells
with a place card tied to the handle
makes 4 pretty souvenir for a woman,
usually be OF comic turn. Thus. q
bonbonnicrc in tile form of steamer
trunk may contain tiny crustacean
or the like
For October many Ideas are avail
able. y pretty ono Is to be cut from
the paper, which comes in a design OF
autumn leaves. a number OF these
leaves with which to decorate the
cover. These may he used in conncc-
ton with tiny pumpkin lanterns
witches and black eats of Halloween
Or. II the guest is motorist, have
a toy motor llled with chrysanthc-
NUNS scuddinG across the colored
leaves. and, conducting It, doll named
for the person who will occupy that
chair.
For November the favor might be
an old-fashomcd dipped candle in .
choice candlesticli E.ncirclc this cover
with n string of cranbe:risS and tie
the name of the guest to the neck OF
a struttng turkey. One of the tiny
imitation pies sold in toy shops, or
small but edible rerj one. might be
added III honor of the feast Of diners
this month.
Holly ana mistletoc deck the Christ
mas cover. amid which rises a little
pasteboard Santa nllcd with candles
or Slttcring miniature Christmas
tree with the name OF the guest writ
ten on star at the very top ANY
souvenir intended here can be tied
with Christmas ribbon and sealed Witt
the pretty holly seals.
1t would bc amusing 20 elaborate
, the calendar plan of the dinner by in
. Producing into the menu daintics which
arc characteristic III u certain degree
of th. season.
. Where Strawberries cannot be mad
a, this time the extremely realistic lit
/ tie ones Of marsipan can be substi-
5 tuted
. Cherries that can hardly be distin-
5 gulshcd from the real ones are also
obtainablc. and these. with the berries.
, could be used for thc side dishes.
/. Spring lamb or ch'ctci and 4 salad
. of carly vegetables decorated with
lowers Gu, from vegetables represent
, the carly months of the year while