Mothers Day Luncheon in Pink

April 24, 2012April 9, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 47 Comments

Good grief, Charlie Brown! Mothers Day is less than 3 weeks away now!!! I’m still grappling with what to do for my Mom’s celebration dinner. Too bad I can’t just add a few candles and recreate this table because I really like it! This is more or less an extension of the Springtime In Paris Mothers Day Buffet table I posted last week. It uses some of the same decorative elements and is designed to either work with the buffet (just take away the luncheon plates & put them on the buffet) or stand alone as a sit-down luncheon.
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A full-length white linen from LinenTablecloth.com covers a 6-ft. oblong table set up in our living room to take advantage of the bright southern exposure.

Each place setting starts with a white ceramic charger from Old Time Pottery topped with a light green napkin folded lengthwise twice and tucked underneath. Following are a white Corelle luncheon plate and ceramic rose-rimmed plate I picked up at Tuesday Morning a number of years ago when I was feeling particularly girlie.

Here’s one of those decorative elements from last week: petal pink fabric napkins folded to resemble a rosebud. This time, rather than being tucked tightly and displayed en masse, the napkin is allowed to expand a bit to fill individual cups at each place setting. (Tutorial for this Rosebud Napkin Fold can be found HERE at Table Twenty-One Table Tips. Just scroll down to Tip #33.) I like to use two napkins at each place setting whenever sandwiches are involved!

The handles of the sterling flatware are embellished with a tiny flower to complement the design of the salad plates and cups. A rose-topped sugar cube created by Shawnee, Kansas cake artist Rebekah Foster daintily rests atop each iced tea spoon.

These green stems from Dollar Tree are one of the best tabletop investments I’ve ever made. So much bang for the buck! I bought enough to have one for water and one for iced tea at each place setting. If you’re not hip to Dollar Tree yet, you need to check it out. They have some pretty decent tabletop items in there from time to time….all for just $1!!!! There are currently more than 4,000 stores across the 48 contiguous states (every U.S. state except Hawaii and Alaska) and Canada, so chances are there’s one near you! If not, you might try its sister company, Deal$.

Here’s another of those elements from last week that really works well on this table to bring color, texture, and height in a slightly different way: clear 12″ glass gooseneck tower vases filled with reaching faux floral branches that create the illusion of a tiny forest down the table’s center.

I like the idea of creating a buffet table with a dining table in mind and vice versa. It really opens up a lot of entertaining opportunities!

For more pink & green tablescapes on this site:
“Blushing Bridal Shower”
“Showered in Pink”

For more tables in pink suitable for Mothers Day:
“Peonies and Pearls“
“Pink Plaid & Posies“

For other posts using the “rosebud napkin fold” on this site:
“Cupcake Colors”
“Springtime in Paris Mother’s Day Buffet”
“Au Revoir”

I’m joining the bunch at Susan’s place for Tablescape Thursday again. C’mon…you know you’re curious about what all the other tablescapers are up to this week! 🙂

A Little Pomp IS the Circumstance Graduation Buffet

April 23, 2012May 24, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 31 Comments

Before we know it, the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” will fill the air on college campuses and in commencement halls across the land. The hard work that goes into earning a degree deserves a celebration that stands out in the crowd. I’m not trying to put my nose all up in the air, but if you want to go beyond the crepe paper streamers and cardboard mortar boards, here’s an idea for a graduation buffet cum laude that your graduate and their guests may favor. I created this as a demonstration table for my Spring 2012 “Art of Tablescaping” students to consider.
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Our Mission style dining room table was way too heavy to move, so I left in place for this demonstration. Students were asked to pretend the table was positioned lengthwise in the room as shown in the 2nd photo.

I started with a black full-length tablecloth to resemble the black of traditional academic robes. Of course, you will want to consider what colors are most fitting for your graduate’s special day.

The head of the buffet table has forks nestled side-by-side in a cotton napkin and placed on a silver tray. The butterflies – seen throughout the room – bring spots of color and speak to the Spring season. The initialed napkins, which remind me of the traditional “hood” worn over the gown, are simply stairstepped on either side in front of the Arcoroc “Seabreeze” glass plates. The napkins can be purchased with any letter from A-Z at Bed Bath & Beyond. Separating the eating utensils from the food is a barrage of silver candlesticks arranged at different heights. Peering down the length of a buffet table through candlelight can be quite the dramatic look!

I know a lot of people have moved away from traditional chafers in favor of electric warming trays (I own a couple myself that I just love!), but I still like the regal drama and uniformity of multiple chafers all lined up for a more formal look.

Grapes are piled high in an oil-rubbed bronze urn centered on a huge oval tray. A variety of hors d’oeuvres are placed on the tray beneath it. This is one little trick that can make your buffet look a bit more sumptuous AND be used as a space-saving idea as it places food both high and low.

Breadsticks are presented in small urns set atop miniature silver cake plateaus.

Try using “edible space fillers” like the melon wedges on silver beaded-edge plateaus shown here. This adds color, texture and sometimes fragrance (as in that of cut fruit) to the table while filling in those bare spots. I like for a buffet table to be teeming with food and have that Louis XIV Court at Versailles look about it!

The surface behind the buffet table is used as a beverage center. A large, untamed centerpiece in an urn like the one used for grapes on the table fills space and plays nicely off the glitzy pieces around it.

The glasses of mock champagne pictured here have a cherry added for flavor and color which create a sensational presentation. (Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or sliced fruits like peaches or apricots work well also, and infuse the champagne with fabulous fresh flavor!) Coffee is served from a large silver urn.

Celebrating a graduation is a fun and happy occasion, so deep-six a bit of the pomp and use something near the front door or in the food area that adds a little whimsy. Here, our faithful butler, Geoffrey, is all decked out in his freshly starched lab coat and mortar board as he celebrates a pharmacy school graduation. (This idea actually came from our next-door-neighbors last Spring when their daughter graduated from St. Louis College of Pharmacy. I asked if they minded if I recreated the look that greeted guests who came to their home to celebrate.) On this evening, the only Rx for my students was to have a great time in class!

I am joining Cuisine Kathleen again this week for the next installment of “Let’s Dish!” which will be up for all to see after 6:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday. Join us for all things dish-related!

Ants in My Pants Picnic

April 18, 2012April 9, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 46 Comments

I wanted to participate in Cuisine Kathleen’s “Good Earth” edition of “Let’s Dish!” this week, so I’m bringing back a post from way back in the day when I first started blogging. For those of you who have already seen it on this site’s “Summer” page, maybe a second visit will get you in the mood for summer. For those of you seeing it for the first time, I hope you enjoy it!

As much as we wish Mother Nature would take their pesky butts back, ants are a huge part of nature! As we celebrate Earth Week, though, I’ll cut ’em some slack. (Unless I see one in my house, and then he’ll be fertilizing the good earth!!!) A picnic under the trees is the perfect way to enjoy all that nature has to offer of the “Good Earth.”
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In August, it’s still sweltering hot outside, but the retailers already have store aisles crammed with holiday decor from Halloween to Christmas. I am so not ready for that! I still want to play outside with my neighbors!

A red & white checkered cloth lends a traditional look to this outdoor setting. I snatched up this piece of easy care poly-cotton fabric from a remnant table. My niece, sister, and Mom are all a whiz with a needle, but I can’t sew a stitch. So…I just tidy up the edges with a pair of my hubby’s surgical scissors and call it a day! Hey, after all…it’s a picnic! Rustic!

What’s a picnic without lots of ice-cold, juicy, sun-ripened fruit for dessert? Delicious!

The place settings stack up on this summer tablescape with black acrylic chargers from Hobby Lobby, white Corelle dinner plates and black salad plates from Wal-Mart, and the cutest little ant-covered top plates from Pier 1. Each person’s bottle of Coca-Cola is iced down in a red lacquered metal pail from Hobby Lobby. Napkins are from Bed Bath & Beyond, and the flatware is the Pfaltzgraff “Legacy” pattern from JC Penney.

As the sun sets, pillar candles set inside oversized black lanterns provide a flicker of light to carry conversation into the evening hours.

I bought these fun giant ants at Hobby Lobby a couple of seasons ago. When I see really cool stuff like that, I just have to buy it…even if I don’t use it for a season or two! This purchase really paid off in the end because it adds a bit of the surreal, which is always fun! Happy Dog Days, everyone!

I’m linking up with Cuisine Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!”. Stop on by anytime after 6:00 p.m. CDT to see what other tablescapers have created to celebrate the Good Earth!

Springtime In Paris Mother’s Day Buffet

April 16, 2012July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 72 Comments

Mother’s Day is inching ever closer, and I want to start now with ideas for a fresh and very flowery buffet table. This is yet another buffet tablescape I created for my Spring 2012 “Art of Tablescaping” class students. I wanted to demonstrate – among other things – how placing a “centerpiece” at the end could be just as effective as centering it and how extending the look across the back side of the table makes it all work.
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Wow…that’s a lot of stuff!!!!!! But it’s all very effective in illustrating the intended look of Springtime on the Champ de Mars in Paris where the Eiffel Tower shares ground with hundreds of fabulous blossoming cherry trees. This is one of those tables that is a loose interpretation of something rather than getting absolutely literal. (Ramon was NOT letting me bring actual cherry trees in this house!!!) In addition to Mother’s Day, this buffet setting would work well for a post-nuptial brunch or luncheon if the couple is honeymooning in Paris. As with many tables, I started with a full-length white linen.

I love to present flatware and napkins in fun, different ways. Here a gallery tray holds a silver julep cup filled with forks. Surrounding the cup are soft pink napkins rolled tightly to resemble rosebuds…or cinnamon rolls…or however your imagination wants to interpret them! (Click HERE and scroll down to Tip #33 for a tutorial on how to create these cute little gems!) You may prefer to place the flatware and napkins at the end of the buffet rather than the start.

Why just sit the plates on the table if you can elevate them to new heights with something like this silver beaded edge plateau? Crank your brain and use your full imagination to come up with plateau ideas from around your home like candle stands, hat boxes, teacups, books…whatever! Just be sure the plates cannot be easily knocked over!!! Porcelain “doily” plates here from Pier 1.

A tiered stand is ideal for displaying cookies or other two-bite treats. Don’t have a ready-made tiered stand? Create one using plates and glasses or candlesticks or teacups. Again, just be sure the structure is secure. Cling® or a similar non-permanent floral adhesive is a good choice to make sure everything stays in place. Be sure to hide your mechanics with a few flowers or by piling the food high. You don’t want that ugly stuff showing through!!!

Here I used 2 sizes of silver cake plateaus to display cheeses and dessert. The breads are brought to the table in an old-fashioned but still quite pretty and very functional silver wire bread basket. A small branch laden with ripe plums is casually placed across the top for color and interest.

It’s all the rage…and even if it wasn’t, it’s still a great way to serve tiny portions of your favorite foods. Everything from cold soups to granola to mixed fruit looks great when served up in tiny vessels with their own tiny spoons. Don’t bother spending a ton of money on the sets found at places like Pier 1 unless you can find a good sale or clearance price. (Sorry, Pier 1. You know I love you, but what you’re asking for those things is criminal!) Consider using things already in your inventory like clean votive holders, shot glasses, demitasse cups, or miniature ramekins or martini glasses. I found the little spoons at Bed Bath & Beyond for 79 cents each, but you may be able to score some less pricey.

On to the centerpiece! You can probably find Eiffel Tower replicas at stores like Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Gordmans which is where I bought mine several years ago. My guess is that you can probably find one at the CHRISTMAS TREE SHOP, too, because apparently – if Cuisine Kathleen and The Tablescaper’s blogs are any indication – you can find just about EVERYTHING great there!!! (I just had to get that dig in to a couple of my blogger buddies because I’m so jealous they have CTS and we don’t! ;-))

Anyhoooooooo……I wanted to capture the feeling of all the lush florals on the Champ de Mars, so I grouped clear glass vases with petite rose bouquets beneath the tower and sort of let them “spill” over as roses naturally do. The fragile look of soft pink roses timidly peeking out from behind the austere lattice of “The Iron Lady” (La dame de fer) as the tower is nicknamed, is such a striking juxtaposition. (If your Mother, like mine, has a very strong personality, she might actually appreciate the irony of this symbol!) Pots of green grass represent the fertile grounds of the Champ de Mars, and a random flurry of butterflies across the table brings in another element of Spring. The “cherry blossoms” used here are flowered branches from Hobby Lobby, but if you have the real thing, by all means…go for it!!!

Not that any other sane human soul looking at the table would necessarily make this observation, but there was a specific reason I chose these gooseneck tower vases for the “cherry trees.” Notice how they resemble the trunk of a tree? And look there at the very bottom…doesn’t the foot of the vase look like the bumpy roots as they meet the ground? Do I need to cut back on the two martini lunches or what?!?!?!! 🙂

Before my head completely explodes, let’s consider the beverage center set up near the buffet table. When you’re working within a small space, just about any surface will do. Here, a cut glass beverage decanter with the word “Paris” across the front sits on a simple silver tray. Lined up on either side are stemmed glasses decked out with fruit and ready for some fun, Springtime refreshment like the ultimate French elixir – champagne – infused with a spritz of strawberry schnapps.

Next week, a great companion table to this Mothers Day buffet, “Mothers Day Luncheon in Pink“. Meanwhile, other tablescapes on this site that would work well for a Mother’s Day celebration include:
“Peonies and Pearls“
“Pink Plaid & Posies”
“Daisy Crazy“
“Mother’s Day Brunch“

Another post on this site using a Parisian theme with the Eiffel Tower as a centerpiece AND using this rosebud napkin fold:
“Au Revoir!“

Other tablescapes on this site with a “rosebud napkin fold”:
“Cupcake Colors”
“Au Revoir”
“Mother’s Day Luncheon In Pink”

Please join me again this week for Tablescape Thursday at Susan’s Between Naps on the Porch and on BeBetsy.com! And if you get a chance, please stop by Beaux R’eves where my buddy, Cindy, posted the coolest “Under the Sea” tablescape for a local charity.

Flirty Peach Skirt

April 11, 2012December 14, 2012 / Alycia Nichols / 26 Comments

On the final night of my “Art of Tablescaping” class this Spring, I set up a table in the library to give students an idea of what’s yet to come in the Summer class series. (Yup…there will be a throwback to my days as a wedding planner mixed in there!) Rebekah Foster of Rebekah Cake Artist was kind enough to lend me a fabulous 3-tiered peaches and cream wedding cake (with sugary sweet and oh-so-delicate handmade gumpaste flowers!!!) to further highlight the demonstration. (Click HERE for more info on Rebekah’s fabulous cake artistry!)
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Photo by Sheri L. Grant

To give a cake table or any table a special little oomph, use a linen about 18″ larger than what you usually would for a floor-length, and pleat fan the bottom to resemble the hem of a flirty short skirt or dramatic evening gown. I got this idea when one of my students, Marie, came to class in a great little red skirt with a similar hemline. It adds a lot of instant character to the table and tends to keep people back just a bit so curious hands don’t make their way into the frosting! To add even more interest, consider adding a smattering of flower petals or gemstones.

The 108″ peach linen used on this 30″ round table is from Linen Tablecloth. The toasting flutes are Mikasa from the “Jamestown Platinum” collection. The silver scrolled cake plateau and gemstone-studded frame are from my private inventory, vestiges of my days as a purveyor of fine special occasion rentals.

I’m linking up with Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!” this Wednesday.
Please join us anytime after 6:00 p.m. CDT for tips on all things dishes and tabletop!

Derby Day Dining

April 10, 2012January 31, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 39 Comments

Last week I posted photos of the Kentucky Derby Buffet I created for my “Art of Tablescaping” students. This week I have the sit-down dinner version that uses a number of the same elements from that buffet table to demonstrate how various pieces can be used for either setting.
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The same table in the same room is all dressed up for a slightly more formal sit-down meal. I used the same black floor-length linen to let the gleam of the silver and brightness of the red roses show best. The white china tones down the dark linens and flower, thus saving the table from looking too morose.

I swapped out the more plentiful Arcoroc “Seabreeze” glass buffet plates for my sister’s very formal Noritake “Whitebrook” china. Derby Day is the time to pull out your finest china and silver, and this china is definitely treasured in our family. The china rests atop highly polished silverplate chargers.

These same lettered napkins were displayed in a silver champagne bucket in the buffet version. They are now simply folded, placed beneath the dinner plate and allowed to hang so as to prominently show the initial. The white of the napkin helps to break up the sea of black linen.

The same heirloom silver flatware pattern – last week placed head-to-toe at the start of the buffet table – is used.

Noritake “Spectrum” iced beverage glasses await the traditional Southern sweet tea. The same julep cups that surrounded the huge silver punch bowl on the buffet last week are now placed at each individual setting.

Each place setting gets its own salt & pepper shakers.

Last week these riding boots (actually a Z Gallerie umbrella stand!) were up to their straps in French baguettes. This week, sitting atop an heirloom silver tray (used last week to display veggies), they spill over with lush red roses. The silver candlesticks flanking the urns on the buffet last week are now on the table. Again I used metal case Paradise candles to keep the look pristine and avoid wax spills on my linen.

Over on the buffet behind the table where the punch bowl and julep cups were displayed last week is a more subdued coffee set up. The red rose balls on oil-rubbed bronze urns from last week remain in place.

On the wall sconces are miniature versions of the larger buffet urns with horseshoes added to further tie them in with the Derby.

With just a few tweaks here and there you can go from buffet to sit-down, casual to formal without sacrificing style. While the horse was omitted from this setting (I’m sure no one would want to spend the night staring up his rump!), the Kentucky Derby feel is definitely still there. It’s semi-formal, but made less stuffy with the addition of the whimsical centerpiece.

Another table on this site that I think would just look fantastic for a Kentucky Derby celebration, “Roses in October”, can be found HERE. Although it is set up using white roses, a simple switch to red roses would make it just perfect! If you’d like to see another tablescape using red rose balls and bouquets, click HERE for “Should Have Put A Ring On It” or HERE for “Kentucky Derby Buffet”.

I’ll be skipping on over to Tablescape Thursday at Susan’s Between Naps on the Porch on Thursday anytime after 9:00 a.m. CDT.

Kentucky Derby Buffet

April 3, 2012August 9, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 66 Comments

If you missed out on the Tartan Parade that started on April 1 at Upstairs Downstairs, Hyacinths for the Soul, Vignette Design and The Polohouse, be sure to click on over to see some really fabulous representations of Scottish tradition. Since they were accepting simple plaid for us non-Scots to be able to participate, too, check out my entry “Pink Plaid & Posies” which is a charming celebration of Spring-y pastel plaid!

It’s already the first week in April, and with time flying this fast the 138th Kentucky Derby will be here before you know it! (That’s May 4th & 5th.)

For my first “Art of Tablescaping – Buffet Style” class last month, I put together a Kentucky Derby buffet for the students to consider for ideas and form. Next week I’ll feature the sit-down dinner version, so please be sure to stop back in to check that out, too!
Click on any photo to enlarge!

Yes, that’s me hiding behind the horse’s hindquarters! Perfect product placement, huh? 😉 This horse really gets around a lot lately. This week he’s prancing on a bed of red rose petals, while just last week he was featured out on the deck in my Spring/Summer brunch post “Carousel Colors“! (He can also be seen in the posts “Run for the Roses” and “Celebrating Longview Farm“.)

Although this table is facing one way, I need for you to imagine it going lengthwise this direction starting at the plates & forks. This is a heavy Mission style table, and there was no way I was going to try and move it!

I draped the table in a full-length black linen to make it just sort of disappear and allow the brilliant red and silver be the stars. The start of this casual buffet table allows guests to take a plate from the double stack and a fork from a line on either side. The forks are arranged in an interesting “head-to-toe” pattern partly for the sake of playful design and partly to help allow more forks to fit into the available space. (Try it! You really can fit in at least 2-4 more forks!)

Initialed napkins, a gift from my best friend, are displayed in a silver champagne bucket. The idea is to not only provide a basic service but to also “stair step” (forks at the lowest level, plates up a bit higher, napkins next highest) the start of the buffet for a dramatic effect.

A themed buffet is the place to really play with unusual serving pieces. For example, loaves of French bread are displayed in a pair of black riding boots that resemble those worn by the jockeys. The boots are actually an umbrella stand purchased at Z Gallerie! (I got it for half price because of a tiny chip at the top that no one will ever see!!!)

Almost nothing says Kentucky Derby like a silver mint julep cup! Bread sticks are offered here, but you can serve just about any and everything out of these…including actual mint juleps!!! (Note: If you don’t have the budget for a lot of silver juleps, consider contacting your florist for faux silver cups like the one above. C’mon admit it…Would you have known if I hadn’t told you?)

Chafers look really great when lined up like tin soldiers in a clean, single line. These are smaller 2-qt. capacity chafers as opposed to the larger 5-qt. ones most often seen. It’s nice to have smaller ones on hand for serving smaller crowds or if you need to conserve table space. I bought these at Big Lots for $15 each about 10 years ago, and I have recently seen them in that store again. (Of course, like everything else, they cost a little more now!)

Derby time is the time to pull out all the silver – heirloom or nouveau – and put it into service in conventional and unconventional ways. For instance, when’s the last time you saw grape scissors like these? They were made popular in the super pompous Victorian era to snip small portions of grapes from a large bunch for eating. They come in just as handy in this post-dot.com era!

Instead of running for the roses, this horse is running with the roses…in his mouth! The traditional blanket of 554 red roses for the winning horse may not be his, but he’s got his own sense of style on the track! 🙂

The area behind the buffet table is set up with a punch bowl (a loose replica of the famous punch bowl that graces the dining room sideboard of the governor’s mansion in Arkansas) full of the traditional bourbon, mint and simple syrup concoction known as a mint julep. Making juleps in large quantities in advance cuts down on time spent behind the bar. Guests can ladle their own into a silver julep cup with ease. Uncouth lushes like me may simply opt to stick a giant bendy straw in the bowl and have at it!!! 😉 The silverplated julep cups pictured here (yup…these are the real deal) are highly recommended to bring out the full experience of each frosty sip! (Unless you can afford the too-rich-for-my-blood sterling silver which is the ultimate!!!) When purchasing julep cups, make sure they are suitable for food consumption. Some contain a compound that allows them to be used for decorative display only.

Red roses throughout the room are a given…and a must! Here, festive yet sophisticated red rose balls are set atop heavy oil rubbed bronze urns on each end of the sideboard and flanked by a pair of silver candlesticks.

Don’t forget about your entryway! Here, a bouquet of red roses greets guests/students as they check in for class. Consider also a wreath of red roses on the front door in the shape of the traditional blanket or perhaps a horseshoe.

Don’t forget to check back in next week for more Kentucky Derby tablescape ideas. I’ll have a full sit-down dinner table prepared for you.

Other Kentucky Derby posts on this site:
“Run for the Roses”
“Derby Day Dining”
“Should Have Put a Ring On It”
“Roses In October”

I’m linking up this week with Kathleen for “Let’s Dish” starting at 6:00 p.m. (CDT) Wednesday, Centerpiece Wednesday with The Style Sisters, and Tablescape Thursday starting at 9:00 a.m. (CDT) Thursday. Join us, won’t you? And catch me over at BeBetsy.com, too!

Pink Plaid & Posies

April 1, 2012June 18, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 57 Comments

I’ve created a bonus tablescape this week so that I can participate in The Tartan Parade co-hosted by blogger buddies Babs (Upstairs Downstairs), Sarah (Hyacinths for the Soul), Delores (Vignette Design), and Alison (The Polohouse). Stop on over to see the other fabulous and fun tartan plaid tablescapes! I’m also linking up with the fun weekly party, Pink Saturday. If you like pink like I do, you’ll love this party!

I wore a plaid uniform nearly every single day in grade school and high school, so a tiny masochistic vestige of tartan plaid clothing remains in my closet. I don’t, however, own much of anything that is plaid in the way of decorating. When I found these pink plaid salad plates, though, I knew I was in like Flynn! (Or “Flint”, depending on which camp you belong to!) I could do a Spring tablescape in pastel pink plaid for the Tartan Parade! I decided to dress the table accordingly using various shades and widths of pink ribbon in a woven plaid design.

I liked the way the ribbon treatment came out over the white full-length table linen, so I just kept running with it! (My husband – the infamous “Tablescape Whisperer” – wanted me to do the entire table in this ribbon plaid treatment. He must be trippin’! ;-))

A white ceramic charger (Old Time Pottery) is topped with a plain white Corelle dinner plate. The pretty pink plaid salad plate is topped with a neat little bowl from Pier 1 that cradles the napkin.

A white cotton hemstitch napkin is gathered up with a bright pink glass napkin ring from Bed Bath & Beyond.

International Silver’s “Danish Princess” flatware rests comfortably atop the ribbon treatment. You can see more clearly here the use of two shades of pink ribbon.

Everyday clear glass stemware from Old Time Pottery is perfect for a pared down Spring luncheon without a lot of frills.

Using two shades of Gerbera daisies lends depth to the bouquets plopped into a parade of curvy white ceramic vases from Michael’s.

What’s a Springtime luncheon without a little take home gift for your guests? Again, two shades of ribbon to make it look just a little more interesting.

So there you have it! A Spring (or Summer!) luncheon (that would also work well for Mother’s Day, a birthday, baby shower, bridal shower, or to celebrate a friend who has battled breast cancer) in pink plaid with posies! I don’t think you’ll ever see this plaid in a Scottish kilt, but I think it works for lunch!

Other light & airy tables in pink on this site:
“Peonies & Pearls“
“Princess Pink Birthday“
“Showered in Pink“
“Breast Cancer Awareness Month”
“Blushing Bridal Shower”
“Just Us Girls”
“Chocolate Traditional”
“Days of Wine & Roses”
“Daisy Crazy“

I’m also hooking up with “The Tablescaper” for Seasonal Sundays this week! Check it out to see a variety of tablescapes and ideas for Spring and Easter!