from the editor

The Bliss Issue

I often think about a framed needlepoint in my aunt's house; the quote reads, "The hostess must be like the duck - calm and unruffled on the surface, and paddling like hell underneath." While I most likely remember it after all these years for the cute ducks swimming across the bottom, the saying often comes to mind when I'm, well, paddling like hell to entertain. In my attempts to make guests feel at home in our home, I've admittedly become a perfectionist. Bath towels stacked neatly and tied with a ribbon probably exceed the basic requirements for southern hospitality, as do terrycloth robes and miniature bottles of shampoo and conditioner. I've become "the hostess with the most-est," some would say. I'm really not trying to be the next "Martha," it's just that treating guests with all five stars makes me a very happy duck.

~merry glenne

merry.glenne@skirtmag.com