WOMEN INTERESTS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1933, Page 3

WOMEN INTERESTS

THE CHOICE OF TOYS

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

tt is at this time of year that parents all over the world' begin to be much exercised in the.ii; minds as to the right choice of toys for their children, with due regard to the age, temperament and tastes of the small recipient. Thelt is one aspect,, however, which is far tou often neglected altogether and which ought, above all things, to be considered—the choice of toys which will help to develop the child’s character — his perseverance, skill, imagination, ambition to - achieve somethingj and which will foster his constructive and not his' destructive, qualities. As soon as small hands cease'from waving aimlessly in the air or fastening a bulldog grip on any object presented' 1 , and get to the stage of pulling the toys to pieces wherever possible, it is time to think of “fitting” toys-7-of turning the destructive into a constructive tendency. There are several such toys to choose

from—a-set of brightly coloured rings that “thread” on to an upright peg; a nest of gaily painted cubes that can be built up...into a pyramid or stowed one inside:.. fOiojther; a box into which .■jvepden balls: anti cubes-• and cylinders have /tor, be ‘.‘pasted’’ through the right

holes 1 or an indestructible wooden ' train whose tender and carriages fit on to one another by means of easy wooden slot-couplings. .When tile child begins to walk comes t'ne time for pulling toys. Cheap tin tops that have sharp edges or that can be easily broken or pulled apart should be avoided, for their small pieces, such as boits and wheels, have too often to be rescued from the owner’s mouth. Good, solid wooden trucks, or woodenjointed animals that wriggle invitingly at the string’s end, are “pull-nbouts” that can be recommended.

. . The pattern-making games begin very simply—for , instance, coloured petals, already cut out, have to be gummed ,on to flower work up to pictures ill fragments which have to-be •carefully cut out by the- child , and gummed .into whole; pictures. b)!ut ; . it does not do to concentrate only on skill at* the. expense of imagination. As the child grows older lie needs toys that must be invested with his imagination before they turn into a satisfactory game. <•

: This is a stage when plenty of bricks and wooden figures or animals aye de.,sirab]e—npne .. qi your nigglihg, oldfashioned, Noah’s Ark type of. animal,but animals . with width •as well {is height, satisfying handfuls of maple or fceecli wehdy.designecl by,.an artist and Tealisticallyscploured—in slibi’t;;; animals • that feed or. pun .or lie or sit. to-thev life.- What .i ffirie houses and castles, aplaces;; and'c-aves ■ and strongholds ..the brickbag Iwill; then provide/ and what breath-taking adventures, in'ygnd about their courtyards the inhabitants of the nnima l-botf'r.-M’.ili.'PHedartter :■!

Skill of hand ' and eye, imagination and- fP Spirit, of-'/I'dyenttre—if ••you Can fostseT' ; theSfe ■qWalHies in your ■ ‘children the first fe\y. .ygjirs of their lives, you should be able to listen unmoved to the bickerings of the educationists.

BEAUTIUL HANDS Every time you wash your hands you must rub thein afterwards with a preparation containing glycerine to prevent redness and chapping. Glycerine and' rosewater is good for wrinkled hands, as it is a mild astringent. Glycerine and demon juice bleaches and ■ and cucumber, refines the "skin.. 'Carry s in your handbag a tube ot glycerine ••'jelly '•fihd use ' it : any time you like'.-'lt vaniske's ’if you rub it well into your "hands,'and Mn’t a hit sticky. Many other hand-fereartis, ehi'ulsions anu lotions contain glycerine. No one is smart nowadays with badly, groomed .finger-nails. > Cuticles which: have crept up all over the nail must be firmly.'checked and .put back in their places. Soak- them well with cuticle solvent applied on cotton-wool and wait a few minutes. Push back the’ cuticle from. the centre of the nail first and work toward the’corners. Rinse your fingers in warmjwnter ;to remove the solvent, then each .nail well with olive oil or cuticle cream. USES FOR ORGANDiE Oddments of organdie and sheer crepe can be used so attractively to freshen up tired frocks for holiday wear. A .‘.‘dickey” front and epaulets of organdie are. introduced into the frock of checked crepe, and iook really smart. A plastron front and matching cuffs make all the. difference in the world to a black satin dress.

The plastron front has ends that tie smartly at the hack, and there is tucking at the shoulders and at the wrists, Again, the addition of a swathe of orgai'idip round your hat to match your collar gives chic at once : or you call trim the crown of a shady hat with printed silk to match a frock of the some material. REMOVING LACQUER. Lacquer may be removed from steel grates by vigorous rubbing of methylated kph’it, allowing it to soak well into the lacquer to soften it. Alternative methods would be to use a Sugar soap oy causiig gpeja.

Mints from Motrie and Mbroad.

GRACEFUL BRIDAL MODES

WHITE POPULAR COLOUR.

“Seasons may come and seasons may go, but weddings go' on forever.” to adapt an old . saying. Dressmakers realise thi s also, for no collection is complete without us bridal retinue, usually shown -at'the last, as the diMax to the parade. Fashion to-day favours the bride, Tor the long, graceful lines of season’s • dresses are ideal for the simple elegance which should always distinguish. the “dress of dresses” for so important an occasion in a woman’s life.

This year there is a return to white bridal dresses, and the train from the shoulder s is. never seen now. Instead, we have the long skirt extending about a yard or so on the ground, or sometimes a train panel is fastened at the waistlin e so that the skirt needs less alteration afterwards. Although the traditional whit e satin has returned to favour I still think that one of ihb many off-white shades that have a hint of pink, or gold, in their make-up more becoming to the average ’bfreie In the merciless glare of before-noon light. The fashionable high neckline is used on nearly all the bridal models, whichwith long . sleeves half covering the* handa gives them a very demure appearance that often suggests the “ga.V ’nineties,” when bfidbs were less sophisticated.- * - In those days the to rich of lucky blue was usually concealed beneath voluminous petticoats in the form of a garter. To-day one sees the blue “for luck” tied round thewaist-line, with a twisted roll of pale blue velvet keeping , the veil in place ; ,or a blue covered prayer-book, with . long ribbon markers tasselled with flowers,, carried instead of a bouquet. One youthful brid e had a Iblue ribbon tied round her waist with a dainty bow oh top.. . •. - ■ To-day a wedding di-ess can easily become a- smart .evening gown,. even . leaving the sleeves-intact,/w- i ; f. dyed, dark whre-Ved/ brbb'n- bottle-green or prune, it- makes; an entirely ■ -'lovely dregs for

- smart-indoor wear. One that I •Recently saw shows . the ba.squed hip to accentuate the 'slim, -youthful waist, ..and the square neckline and .tiny , frill givt e it ;a medieval look. ; The . buttoned front is a modern fashion; note, that fits in with the -picture, and* the* tiny s a sh could be .!I).utp orr. matching the . dress;'- By enlarging the square and./cutting off the. sleeve-'thpsv'-pnd; finishing -the tqp-q,f-th.e-bo-tLiee with V-bahcf ftf b-rowii' fur or a.'wreath of white flowers, you.'’"would- have a perfpr-.f. evening model gown. Fashiohs“fof •bridesnfardi'lean towards the picturesque, and you can ,have dresses” all fluff and 'fuffleis, orsome-

’ thing more, simple, and ‘cVih " relyon /clever colour jehemes to give _ tife jcrrej ’tihetive effect. ,i think in these -difficult times the bride’s girl friends would

appreciate the fact that the dresses

chosen could be put to practical rise, rather than., be . airy. tulle: confections that .are only fit for special occasions ■lind then have a very short life. The dress with brief coatee is one of the prettiest ideas to exploit. This gives great scope for colour schemes, and also assists in the double-purpose '.idea. By having a light dres s and a dark coat, or vice versa, it is possible to achieve a charming effect, and the drees can 'afterwards be used for even-

ing er a summer frock. Other fashionable modes include ,7 dress of “face-powder pink” crepe, with a coatee of wine-red velvet. The dress, with cowl neckline" ■ and small caped sleeves, is practical for summer day or and,c|he. ' deep double flouneeg from, the knee-are new and becoming. One could beff. removed for day-wear if wanted"short, or .'both could be shortened. . ' : ’ With this I should suggest >a wide pink hat,- simply tied , with a twist of the wine-red velvet. An alternative scheme would be a wreath'of roses with a tulle vail .standing out beyond for a brim. This may be' worn at the popular angle, but I do not like to see the bride’s wreath, although it. has . been seen once or twice this year. This idea in chalk-blue, and deep .sapphire-, blue with a bouquet of delphiniums and red and pink roses would be charming, [ ■or in pale sunshine-yellow crepe ahcl: dark nut-brown velvet with garden flowers bouquets that consisted of many yellows,-red, browns, a'">d blues. •• WHITE KID TRIMMINGS Articles such as handbags, shoes, and sports hats which are trimmed with j soft white kid . may be considerably j freshened if the kid is cleaned in the following manner. Cream of tartar is the best medium for the purpose. Rub it gently into the kid by means of a soft cloth. Brush out and if the kid is still soiled rub over a powder composed,of half fuller’s earth and half-powdered alum. After this treatment the article will look like new again. An all-kid handbag may he cleaned ,throughly and. effectively ftp •the same manner.