Oopsy Daisy!

August 30, 2011July 8, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 71 Comments

Planning a summer luncheon? Hey…summer is NOT over yet! I’m hanging onto it for dear life! The proof is in this sunny yellow, green and white table that is perfect for a birthday luncheon, the girls getting together, or even a casual bridal luncheon or shower with a Gerbera daisy theme!

Even with the hot August sun blazing overhead, a summer picnic on the deck is a perfect time to gather with friends.

Got ugly or very generic outdoor tables like I do? Your most important table decor friend is a full-length white cloth that covers the top and legs with grace and style!

There are no fresh flowers used on this table, but you don’t miss them at all with the profusion of Gerbera daisies peeking out from underneath clear glass plates! A triple stack of colorful placemats makes each place setting really stand out. Clear stemware goes great with the plates. All placemats and the plates are from Bed Bath & Beyond.

A maverick place setting like this calls for a fun twist on the flatware placement! The flatware is from TJ Maxx.

A fun napkin fold mimics the petals of the daisy. The napkins are from & Bed Bath Beyond.

Grass in rustic pots brings color, texture and movement to the table.

No money for fresh flowers and too early in the day for candles? Well, something has to make that centerpiece pop! I used my trusty 31″H clear glass cylinders paired with colorful paper parasols from Hobby Lobby. Just plop ’em in! They look great and provide much-needed shade on a warm afternoon!

If you missed “Candle in the Wind” – my tribute table in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales – you can see it here. Beautiful fuchsia flowers, lots of silver…simple, but befitting the memory of a princess!

Other tablescapes on this site using paper parasols:

“Tropicana”
“Daisy Crazy“

Thanks for stopping in, and please join me as I visit Susan and the other tablescapers at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!!!

Candle in the Wind

August 29, 2011July 5, 2013 / Alycia Nichols / 37 Comments

This Wednesday will mark the 14th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. I, like many people, vividly remember where I was and what I was doing when the news first broke. Like millions of others, I watched as her grief-stricken sons walked that painful walk behind the lily-draped coffin in her funeral procession. In a loving tribute, Sir Elton John – though deeply pained by the untimely death of his dear friend – found the wherewithal to write and then sing at the funeral a remake of his original hit “Candle in the Wind”.

A little over ten years later in 2007, Sir Elton John was the featured act for the grand opening of Kansas City’s Sprint Center. My Mom and I were among the lucky 16,872 souls to witness his stellar performance from the Sprint Suite, mere yards away from the stage. With it being so close on the heels of the ten-year remembrance of Diana, I couldn’t help but think of her.

So this week as a little something extra, I’m posting photos of the table I set up for a little pre-concert dessert & coffee at my house.

Click here and scroll down for more lovely tea tables!

A full-length white linen hosts the Easterling china my Mom gave me a few years back. White cotton napkins are encircled with staid silver rings. The only flatware needed was a spoon for stirring our tea or coffee.

Diets be damned! Rich chocolate candies and assorted cookies were on the menu. The etched silver cordial cups are also from my Mom.

Sherry is served from a cut crystal decanter purchased years ago at Tuesday Morning.

I have absolutely no idea what the intended use of this beautiful velvet-lined silver cache is (jewelry, perhaps?), but I have always used it as a tea caddy to present tea at the table.

A cluster of tightly packed and highly fragrant fuchsia carnations made a sweet and simple centerpiece. The candles displayed in tri-level silver candlesticks flickered wildly against the evening sky and paid tribute to Diana on this fittingly breezy evening.

I got this fabulous silver urn at Tuesday Morning many years ago. The reticulated lip and base along with the ornate engraving captured my attention. Without question, this urn had me at hello!

And so, with that I remember a great song performed by a great singer in loving memory of a great humanitarian: Diana, Princess of Wales, “The People’s Princess”.

Thanks again for taking me to the concert, Mom!

Please remember to join hostess Susan and all my tablescaping blog buddies at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!!!

Lemonade From Bill

August 23, 2011July 21, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 79 Comments

I NEED TO THROW A REAL DINNER PARTY!!! It has been so long! Even if all I serve is beans and weanies…I’m going through serious withdrawals here!!! I know it’s weird, but I can’t just dream up these tables without a target guest or group in mind. I was stumped a couple of weeks ago until I remembered something my friend Bill from Affordable Accoutrements said to me a few weeks ago. If you are not familiar with Bill’s blog, I encourage…no, I INSIST that you pop over there to bathe in his immeasurable talent. Anyway, I was all down in the mouth and Bill tossed out that old adage about turning lemons into lemonade. When he said it, I swore I could hear the theme music from “The Twilight Zone” in the background because I was drinking lemonade at that very moment! Coincidence? I don’t think so. Serendipity? Perhaps. Was Bill spying on me despite the fact he lives hundreds of miles away? I got up and pulled the shades just in case. 😉

So, Bill, I took your sage advice as I set out to create a casual, lemony summer tablescape!

Another example of making lemonade out of lemons: These crazy standard outdoor tables are only 30″ wide. (I need to have a serious talk with the manufacturers!) The narrow dimensions would not allow for the placemats to set properly, so I zig-zagged the seating. I have done this before, and it actually works quite well in practice. You’d be surprised how much your guests appreciate the extra elbow room (think gnawing on ribs or cracking shellfish!) and are still able to chat comfortably with one another. This layout adds a little more visual interest, too!

The weather finally cooled enough to get out on the deck. Such a shame when we think the mid-90’s is “cooler.” Thankful for the opportunity, though, I took immediate advantage!

I am so fond of the look a full-length table linen provides. It adds a touch of subtle formality to the most casual table. The base white table linens here are enlivened with lots of sunny, bright yellow. A dark woven placemat from Pier 1 is topped with lemon-laden “Lemon Orchard” dinner plates also from Pier 1. Simple yellow cotton napkins from Bed Bath & Beyond hang in a simple vertical fold off the plate.

Contemporary J.A. Henckels “Bellaserra” flatware complements the square plate.

Amber stemware with a yellow undertone is set European style at the head of the setting. The champagne flutes are from World Market, and the bubble glass water stems are from TJ Maxx.

Simple clear water carafes are dressed up a bit with a lemon slice.

Tiny bouquets of pale yellow sweetheart roses are placed between place settings.

Yet another reason to close my shades is that Bill’s post last week featured an end centerpiece, too! I think we’re telepathically sucking each other’s brain! Either great minds think alike, or crazy loves company! 🙂

I echo Bill’s sentiment that an end centerpiece is a great way to balance things out when you have more table than place settings on an oblong table. By placing the smaller arrangements down the center as I did with the sweetheart roses, the theme is repeated but in not such a dramatic fashion. Another advantage of an end centerpiece: Sometimes you have a tall centerpiece arrangement that would go great with your dishes but is better suited for a round table. No problem…put that bad boy on the end! Also great for centerpieces that would otherwise obstruct your guests’ view during dinner conversation.

I borrowed the tall yellow ceramic vase from our master suite. I had a massive matching bowl that was broken…check that…obliterated in the recent move. 😦

I bought the creamy yellow tureen from Pottery Barn a couple of years ago. It was marked all the way down to $12. I cradled it like the winning touchdown football at the Super Bowl until I was able to make my way to the check out counter to confirm the unbelievable price! The mix of yellow and cream-colored roses are displayed here in two clear ginger vases as well as clustered in bunches atop stacked cake stands. This is such a lush look and easy to achieve when you haven’t the time/energy/skill/inclination to fuss with an arrangement.

Lemonade out of lemons! Thanks, Bill! I made it through another week!

Both Bill and I will be joining Susan and all the other fabulous tablescapers at Between Naps on the Porch this Thursday for Tablescape Thursday. I hope you’ll join us. There is an awful lot of talent out there! You can also find me at BeBetsy.com!

Thank you for stopping in!

Show Me State Dinner

August 16, 2011June 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 57 Comments

This post is dedicated to my Mom, Senator Yvonne S. Wilson (Retired)

If the past couple of months have taught me anything, it’s that LIFE HAPPENS. Everything you know – or think you know – can change in the blink of an eye. Even though I know better, for some reason I forget that from time to time, and I procrastinate. For the entire time my Mom served in the Missouri House and Senate, I put off hosting a dinner for her and her colleagues. I threw her birthday parties, parties for the Governor’s Ball, parties for the Legislator’s Ball…heck, I even put my decorative touch on her retirement party. But never in all that time did I engineer an intimate sit-down dinner that would allow her to enjoy a relaxed evening with just a few of her colleagues in the comfort and quiet of home. Bad, bad daughter!

Could have, would have, should have….didn’t. Here’s a look at the “Show Me State” dinner that never was!

I take my cue from “For the Royal Table – Dining at the Palace” by Kathryn Jones. Love this book! Yes, I realize this country does not have a monarchy. Borrowing tidbits of style and protocol from the palace, however, lends a touch of ceremony that I think my Mom deserves. If this were the real deal, I would most definitely rent gold ladderback chairs for the occasion.

Homage is paid to our great state with Missouri’s official seal.

Nearly every party I have ever thrown in my Mom’s honor has been in hues of pink and green. This one in red & white, however, takes on colors consistent with those of our national and state flags. (Crimson and cream are also the colors associated with my Mom’s sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. Close enough!)

Royal Scotland china sits atop goldleafed glass chargers.

Linen dinner napkins emblazoned with the state seal.

I would undoubtedly want to serve several courses. The table, therefore, would creak under the weight of goldplated flatware ~~brazenly pilfered~~ borrowed from my Mom and Dad’s house. (It’s her own fault, really. She needs to learn to frequently change the locks and alarm code! :-))

Borrowing another idea from “For the Royal Table”, the menus are simple and staid. The outside bears the State seal in gold. The inside bears the same seal as a watermark located between the date of the event and the place in which it was held. (Sorry, no castle here…just a lowly subdivision!) The dessert would include our official State nut – the black walnut – and, of course, all wines would be from local wineries.

I chose these water glasses because they have a very courtly look to them, and the embellishments complement the design on the china. The wine glasses, from my Mom’s collection, are etched with the state seal.

Our official state flower is white hawthorn blossom which is a member of the great rose family. Red roses grace the table, however, because I could not find white hawthorn blossom at any local nursery. Go figure. These are displayed in simple glass vessels made a bit more special with the addition of a beautiful crystal bobeche. Who says bobeches are just for candlesticks? Not me! Go on and bling up those vases!!!
(Click here and scroll to Table Tip #24 to learn how to easily strip thorns from roses.)

In 2003 the Norton/Cynthiana grape was adopted as Missouri’s official grape. My parents used to grow them in a small orchard on their property. They are prized by many Missouri vintners who produce lush dry premium red wines of world-class quality and distinction. Again, unable to get my hands on any Norton/Cynthianas close to home, I settled for their juicy cousins displayed in beautiful gold and crystal compotes borrowed from my Mom. The Limoges salt & pepper cellars are a gift from my Mom.

And there you have it: the “Show Me State” dinner that never was.
Here’s to you, Mom!

Substitute the Missouri State seal for Kentucky’s and deep-six the flags, and you have yourself a wonderful Kentucky Derby tablescape!

Other patriotic-themed tablescapes on this site:
“Stars & Stripes”
“All-American Seafood Boil”
“Lauren in the Library”
“4th of July Coastal Style”
“Red, White & Blueberries”
“American Royal Tablescape”
“Peacefully Patriotic”

Thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for once again hosting Tablescape Thursdays!
Join us, won’t you? And please…In support of our troops and their families, join me for The Coconut Head Survival Guide’s “Memorial Day Patriotic Palooza Party”!!!

Mandarin Bling

August 9, 2011July 27, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 78 Comments

Regained a smidge of my creative mojo, y’all!
This is the first tablescape I have created since…well, you know! 😉

I’ve been in a creative slump lately, drowning in the cesspool of the last couple of months. I recently decided to surface, catch my breath, and get my hips back to tablescaping!!! 🙂 I drew inspiration from Alberto Pinto’s book “Table Settings”. (Click here or on the “Books That Make You Go Ooh!” tab above to read my review.) I was drawn to his continental style that is markedly different and quite dramatic. Hence, the color palate used here is bright Mandarin orange, blue and white.

To create this Oriental tablescape with European style, I started with a starched white floor-length cotton table linen. Floor-length in this case was a must to convey the relative formality of the evening. A 13″ round mirrored charger is topped with Ralph Lauren’s “Mandarin Blue” dinner and salad plates. The plates have two separate but complementary designs. Other pieces in Lauren’s “Mandarin Blue” have orange flourishes.

I created the menus using a lightweight neon orange cardstock layered with white. A clip art Mandarin symbol adorns the front of each and separates the listed courses.

Now that my mojo is back, my love of energetic color has returned as well. Cobalt blue water goblets from Pier 1 team up with Crystal d’Arques wine glasses and fun orange martinis in which dessert would be served. (Orange martinis found at Old Time Pottery.) This eclectic but complementary mix is typical Alberto Pinto style.

With dishes in a pattern called “Mandarin Blue”, it seemed fitting to use flatware with an Asian influence. Adding a pair of chopsticks alongside the bamboo stainless flatware offers those with the necessary skills a chance to eat in an authentic manner.

The centerpiece is composed of 29″H clear pilsner vases topped with bright orange rose balls that are visually “connected” by crystal garlands. A single crystal prism, suspended from the bottom of the rose ball, dances in the light of 25″ Paradise candles. (Click here to see another table decorated with rose balls. Click here or on the “Table Tips” tab above – Tip #27 – to see how the prisms are discreetly attached.)

Gilded servants from Z Gallerie offer another level of intimate candlelight.

The buffet display has a Z Gallerie 24″ orange wooden tray tucked behind an oversized ginger jar from Home Goods. More servants with votive candles stand guard in front of the display. Tea service uses “Mandarin Blue” cups and saucers along with a simply designed teapot from Home Goods.

Though very non-traditional in color & style for the holiday, this tablescape would be great for Chinese New Year!

So…who says eating Chinese takeout is just for college students and sitcom characters? “Homey don’t play that!” 🙂 For me, it’s all about the Mandarin Bling!!!

Other Asian-inspired tablescapes on this site:
“Year of the Rabbit”
“Peaceful Peonies”
“Copper Zen”
“Mikasa ‘Daylight’ Giveaway“

You are invited to join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch along with a bevy of wonderfully talented tablescapers for Tablescape Thursday. You can also catch me over at BeBetsy.com. See you there!

Under a Paper Moon

August 1, 2011August 16, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 60 Comments

I’ve still haven’t regained my mojo to the point that I can create, so this week I am sharing photos from a birthday dinner party last summer.

Sultry summer nights with a few close friends means casual dining under the stars…and a few colorful paper moons! My friend doesn’t like anyone to “fuss over” him, so a casual outdoor tablescape was totally in order.

This easy, breezy table starts with a white cotton linen. Next is a length of cheery lime green, turquoise, aqua & white floral fabric. The place settings are kept relatively simple so as not to fight with the strong pattern in the table covering. Clear acrylic square dinner plates in turquoise from Target are topped with sheer green salad plates to allow the pattern to shine through. Each place setting is topped with a turquoise square glass votive holder. White flatware from TJ Maxx and a white cotton napkin with a fun Tuesday Morning turquoise & green stone ring doesn’t get lost in the linen pattern. The centerpiece is very simple: a trio of Home Goods aqua glass candlesticks with fat white candles illuminate the evening’s festivities.

Fanciful turquoise and lime green paper lanterns float easily above the dining table, lending color and movement to the night. (I will never forget teetering like a tightrope walker at the top of that ladder as long as I live!)

So there you have it: casual summer dining in its simplest form.

For more posts using paper lanterns on this site:
“Cupcake Colors”
“Butterfly Kaleidoscope”
“Blue & White 30th Birthday”
“Easter Brunch”
“Fairy Princess Party for Little Girls”
“Chinese Takeout”

Thank you for stopping in!
Meet me again this week for Tablescape Thursday with Susan and the other tablescape fans over at Between Naps on the Porch!