ways of planning them. For instance, they may be
appropriate to the month, like a Christmas Tree Shower in December or
an Indian Summer Shower in November or a Rainy Day Shower in April. Or
they may take as keynotes the engaged girl's special likes, as in the
case of an apple shower, a kitty shower or an old rose shower. And
then again, they may be just plain, ordinary, handkerchief showers, or
linen showers, or kitchen showers, with an original touch somewhere.

"A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME" LUNCHEON

At a recent engagement luncheon the announcement was made in a unique
way.

A large wooden embroidery hoop was hung from the ceiling over the
table and in the ring perched a gaily painted wooden parrot, the kind
that rocks back and forth when touched.

From the parrot streamers of colored baby ribbon led to the different
places, and tied to the ends of the ribbons were tiny notes in
envelopes. These on being opened showed the names of the engaged
couple and a short rhyme reading thus:

_A little bird told me
A very nice thing,
That Randolph gave Sally
A diamond ring_.

The refreshments followed somewhat the parrot color scheme, with
halves of grapefruit garnished with cherries, chicken a la King,
pimento, walnut and cream cheese salad, orange ice, and little cakes
with colored frosting.

Small celluloid parrots perched on the rims of the glasses were
appropriate souvenirs.

A HAPPINESS TEA

_Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full o' rye,
Four and twenty bluebirds
Baked in a pie;

When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing,
About a certain couple here
Who have some news to spring_.

Thus did one girl announce her engagement in the month of May. She had
asked twenty-four of her best friends to come to a bluebird tea one
Saturday afternoon, and nobody suspected her secret, although they did
remember that the bluebird stands for happiness.

The party was held out on the hostess's big porch, which was decorated
with jars of pink and white apple blossoms. Everybody had a very good
time dancing to the music of the phonograph until it was time for the
tea to be served. The waitresses were Betty's two little sisters, who
wore as insignia big blue bows on their hair and cunning little aprons
made of bluebird cretonne.

The tea was iced and served with lemon and mint in tall glasses. The
sandwiches were tiny and round and filled with pink strawberry jam
wh