I’ve decided to come out of semi-retirement, which is otherwise known as “I’ve been too lazy to update my website and social media channels” (at least for the time being) because the state of our dear United States of America has been so distressing to me. If you spend any time on Twitter, which I […]
Category: Random Advice
Grab bag of wisdom.
Personality: How to Exert It (1915)
“Personality is defined as the qualities or characteristics, personal traits or attributes peculiar to some individual. Specifically, it is that quality which sustains poise through self-control in the face of propitious or unpropitious circumstances,” asserts the preface of H. Laurent’s Personality: How to Build It, which I picked up in Austin last weekend. Do you […]
Invitation for a Drive (1891)
I’ve got this pretty beat up book from 1891 called The Business Manual; A Complete Guide in all Mercantile and Legal Transactions and Reference Book for Every Day Use (well used during it’s time, I presume). It covers a wide variety of topics, from how to measure coal, to how to make an ice chest. […]
Country vs. City Kids (1891)
“It cannot be claimed that children brought up in the country are better morally than those brought up in the cities. Evil exists in both places, and much of it cannot be kept from the knowledge of the young. It is seen in the city stripped of its glamour, and with its degrading effects more […]
“P P” Card
Time for another Fun Card! Here’s one that might come in handy if you’re going on a long road trip this three-day February weekend. Instead of whining, “but dad! I gotta gooooooo!!!!!” just follow the instructions here to alert your driver of the urgency of the matter.
How to Tell Disposition and Character by the Nose
I’m digging around my books looking for things to feature in a holiday gift ideas post, but came across this and thought you might enjoy. It’s from Professor Jefferis’ and J.L. Nichols’ Search Lights on Health: Light on Dark Corners, which was published in 1911. This book is packed with information about sex, purity, love, […]
Is a Man Abnormal if He Likes Art and Dislikes Sports?
I’ve got a husband who likes art and dislikes sports (and he seems to be well-adjusted), so I was a bit intrigued to read this excerpt in a new addition to my collection, the book Sex Questions and Answers: A Guide to Happy Marriage by Fred Brown and Rudolf T. Kempton. I’m not sure what […]
Looking for Glove Etiquette or Info on the Sears Discovery Charm School?
With the site redesign, I had to completely redo how my old advice pages were displaying. They are now all blog posts. Two popular posts from the old site are now in new locations. If you are looking for glove etiquette, it’s here: https://www.missabigail.com/advice/beauty-and-charm/2010/08/glove-etiquette/ And the one on the Sears charm school is here: https://www.missabigail.com/news/2008/01/sears-discovery-charm-school-ring-any-bells/ […]
Summertime Hints
Founded in 1868 by J. R. Watkins, the Watkins Company, as evidenced in their company history, was a pioneer in natural products to cure, clean, cook with, drink, and kill insects with. Elaine Allen, Director of Home Economics at the company, put together the 1941 book Watkins Household Hints which I perused this morning to find some random […]
Twelve Steps to Success in Public Speaking
I’ve been busy preparing for a talk I gave last week at the American Studies Association conference in Detroit. I was on a panel that discussed secondhand shops and thrift stores, and told all about purchasing books for this site. Since I spend more time behind the safety of the keyboard, I was a bit […]