Celebrate Mardi Gras!

February 27, 2014July 26, 2021 / Alycia Nichols / 48 Comments

INSPIRATION: Colorful miniature masks found on clearance after Christmas at Pier 1

If you’re looking for some last-minute Mardi Gras inspiration, you’ve landed at the right spot!
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I’m all for fun where Mardi Gras is concerned, but we tend to go a little more upscale in the decor for certain friends & family…and you know who you are! 😉 This gold crinkle taffeta tablecloth from YourChairCovers.com serves as a beautiful foundation. The crinkles remind me of ruching on some bridal gowns. Very elegant AND no iron! Gotta love it! If you want to go for a posh Harlequin look, I suggest the eggplant (purple) pintuck from LinenTablecloth.com. You can’t go wrong either way!

The royal purple Bormioli Rocco “Inca” glass charger anchors the place setting and is topped with an American Atelier “Florentine Scroll” dinner and salad plate. I chose this pattern because of the frenzied flourish of scroll work around the rim and in the center…for what is Mardi Gras if not frenzied and full of flourish? 🙂

There will be food. LOTS of it!!! I always overdo. I can’t help myself. At least there are great leftovers which = time off from the kitchen for at least a day. I created these menus on my desktop. The fun multi-colored background layer are actually postcard invitations I’ve had for years just waiting for the right moment to make their debut. Notice how here, too, there is frenzied scrolling. I added various colored faux gemstones for a more 3-D look and…let’s be honest…because the blingier the better!!!

These things really excite me! I have literally had them for 20 years and NEVER used them. NEVER!!! I don’t know why. I have about 20 of them, purchased at a wholesale place in a “grab bag.” I suppose they’re actually feathered tassels of some sort, but I never let “intended use”get in my way. 😉 They’re quite full, very luxurious to the touch. They really add a lot of texture, color and sheer drama to the place setting!

I use this Pier 1 gold-rimmed purple and green stemware just about every year for Mardi Gras. It’s perfect for the occasion and never gets old to me. It also comes in handy at Christmastime or when I want to go for an exotic look. I bought the intricately-designed glassware in several colors at TJ Maxx a couple of years ago (used HERE in a celebration of Diwali) after deciding the World Market price was just way too crazy for me. It has a wonderful vintage look, and notice…scroll work!

These miniature mask ornaments were the inspiration for this Mardi Gras table for 6. I found them while sifting through the 75% off area at Pier 1 this past January. While purple, green & gold are the traditional Mardi Gras colors, I’ve added a few more just to kick it up a notch!

These purple glass cabaret lamps are yet another Pier 1 clearance purchase from about 15 years ago that I have never used until now. I got them in purple, red and clear. What was I waiting for??!??!!! Placed at each individual place setting, they add kind of a nightclub feel to the table.

The centerpiece consists of two very dramatic aubergine “Moran” glass vases from Z Gallerie. The 31″ vases are filled with the beads that make Mardi Gras the decadent good time it’s known for and then topped off with glittered palm leaves.

Feathers are a big part of the Mardi Gras celebration from the clothing, to the often elaborate/whacky headdress, to the decor. So I spread them around the room from the table to the buffet top! Here they fan out at the base of this aloof ceramic Jester mask rescued from the clearance section at Home Goods a couple of years ago. I added a handful of beads for color, texture and fun. In retrospect, I probably should have blinged him out a bit more. Well…there’s always next year, God willing!

These fanciful Mardi Gras fairies were included in the same grab bag as the feathered tassels from years ago. I forgot they even existed. They somehow slipped past my trusty computerized catalog system and were still neatly tucked into the original packaging!!!

No, Ramon didn’t pick up some bag lady and bring her home. This is me after a long day of cooking and cleaning, and I apparently have no shame! Isn’t that head a mess? At least I’m wearing Mardi Gras purple! I did a trial run of the food for Fat Tuesday next week. I ended up adding crab and shrimp to this pot, but next week’s guest list includes someone who claims she’s allergic to shellfish…and you know who you are! 😉

I hope you’re all ready for Fat Tuesday with menu and drinks and games already decided! It’s going to be a blast…and then Lent. What are you giving up this year?

Other Mardi Gras tables or tables suitable for Mardi Gras on this site:
Mardi Gras Madness
Mardi Gras Lite
Mardi Gras Mojo
The Peacock Effect

I’m joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch again this week for “Tablescape Thursday”, and I hope you’ll come with! You’re bound to find loads of ideas from lots of other talented tablescapers (especially those Southern gals…and you know who you are!) for a great Mardi Gras celebration.

The Peacock Effect

February 19, 2014August 16, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 39 Comments

INSPIRATION: The softened peacock-like colors and design in this Home Goods plate

With the nasty winter pretty much everyone here in the U.S. has suffered/is still suffering through, it’s good to be able to pull out color and style that bring cheer and hope for Spring. Valentine’s Day is now under our belts (or around our necks or on our fingers…am I right, ladies?!), and it’s time to look toward the celebration of Mardi Gras. Don’t care for the traditional Mardi Gras colors or just want to switch it up? Perhaps something like this would work for you!
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This beautifully-appointed table begins with a 90″ x 132″ soft silver tablecloth from YourChairCovers.com.

The place setting begins with a lavender charger from Michael’s. The lavish glass plate is from the Topkapi line often found at Home Goods, T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s. It is 100% food safe. The colors are from the softer side of those found in peacock feathers, and the flourish encircling the plate reminds me of how a peacock proudly unfurls his tail.

The International Silver “Royal Danish” sterling is paired with the setting to complement the majestic plate design. Notice how they both sort of fan out.

I picked up these flashy glitter- and sequin-covered peacock ornaments at this year’s 75% off after-Christmas clearance sale at Pier 1. They are simply clipped onto the side of the charger as an added flourish to the place setting.

I didn’t want to hide any part of the plate design or interfere with the beauty of the peacock on the charger, so the 20″ silver napkins from LinenTablecloth.com are placed dead center at the top of the place setting. They are folded into a fleur de lis which is a great tie-in to Mardi Gras.

I bought this wonderful and oh-so-delicate aubergine-tinted “Andre” stemware from Z Gallerie about 3 years ago, but this is the first time I’ve used it. It picks up yet another hue from the peacock feathers.

I do love a pretty centerpiece, and this one was several weeks in the making. I just couldn’t decide on the center vase! Finally – after selecting mercury glass votives for the table and buffet – I settled on this gourd-shaped silver mercury glass vase from Hobby Lobby. A scant few peacock feathers rise and drape from it.

Now you’re just going to think I’m really anal, but here goes anyway: I chose the silver floating candles (Pier 1) because, again, looking at them reminded me of the peacock’s fanned out tail. The candles drift over a bed of turquoise agate from Michael’s.

The buffet behind the dining table is decorated with two low florals of white, purple, and green-tinted hydrangea, viburnum, deep purple calla lilies and feathery soft dusty miller. Each arrangement is finished off with a peacock like the ones on the table. A mixture of silver and turquoise/purple mercury glass votive holders also carries over from the dining table. The reflection in the mirror if of the same two wreaths used in yesterday’s peacock post.

To balance out the room, the tea cart holds a 21″ silver mercury glass pilsner vase filled with peacock feathers. This, also, is a carryover from yesterday’s post, “Simply Peacock Garden”.

Add a pot of gumbo and a few lavishly-feathered masks as party favors, and this dining atmosphere instantaneously becomes a Mardi Gras celebration!

So there you have it. This tablescape with a peacock effect can work with or without masks and King cake. Your choice!

Other tablescapes on this site using peacock feathers:
Simply Peacock Garden
Peacock Pizzazz
Pumpkins & Peacocks
Pheasants & Peacocks
Proud As a Peacock

Other tablescapes on this site for Mardi Gras:
Laissez Bon Temps Rouler!
Mardi Gras Mojo
Mardi Gras Lite
Mardi Gras Madness

I’m linking up with Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for “Tablescape Thursday” again this week. If you’ve never joined in on this weekly blog party, this is your chance! There are so many talented tablescapers all over the world who share their creativity all in this one place. Join us, won’t you?

Simply Peacock Garden

February 18, 2014February 20, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 52 Comments

INSPIRATION: 222 Fifth “Peacock Garden” plates from Home Goods

True story: My Mom MADE me get these plates! Seriously! Stop laughing! She did!!! We were in Home Goods, and I was going to pass them up…but she insisted I get them and then ultimately bought them for me. STOP laughing! I’m telling the truth!!!

Have you composed yourself? Good. Then please enjoy my post using these beautiful 222 Fifth “Peacock Garden” dinner and salad plates. Then be sure to stop back tomorrow for another peacock tablescape that would sub nicely for a Mardi Gras setting!
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I set up this 48″ table in our library as burly men with their butt cracks showing finished installing new windows in our dining room. This was my only diversion as they were here for way too long on a frigid day. Ice and snow as far as the eye could see. Yes…that meant the house was freezing cold, so I had to keep busy!

I used this linen layering technique again to pick up both the white background and the colorful foreground of the plates. A 108″ white round tablecloth is layered with an 85″ square turquoise cloth from LinenTablecloth.com, lending contrast and interest.

Clockwise progression: The deep blue metal charger used at the bottom of the place setting was found on clearance at Pier 1. I was so lucky to get 8 of them! My sister gave me the beautiful gold- and silver-leafed glass chargers a few years ago, and I use them often. The deep turquoise poly-cotton napkin is from Z Gallerie, and you already have the 411 on the plates. That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it, people! 🙂

The napkin is simply folded and placed between the top charger and the dinner plate. I placed it here to pick up the deep turquoise in the plates, while the top linen picks up the softer turquoise color in them. The bottom charger picks up the 3rd shade of blue, the gold charger picks up the gold, and the bottom white linen, of course, picks up the white in the plates. Like a peacock’s feather, this place setting is a dazzling array of hues that artfully work together.

Wacky? Yes. Unconventional? Yes. Fun? You betcha!!! It’s not a formal setting, so this is just another way to add interest to the tabletop and keep guests on their toes! 🙂 While the salad and dinner forks are in their traditional places, the dessert fork and coffee spoon decide to get jiggy with it!

Wanting once again to pick up the array of colors in the peacock plates, I teamed up an inexpensive cobalt blue goblet from Dollar Tree with a mid-priced deep turquoise goblet from Stein Mart, then finished it off with a 24-kt. gold-rimmed white vintage piece from my Mom. I love to mix glassware like this! (For more ideas on successfully mixing stemware, visit HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

The centerpiece is easy to create but packs a whallop. A beautiful pitcher is filled with peacock feathers at varying heights and then simply surrounded by a splash of gold mercury glass votives. All the girth is way up high, so the centerpiece can remain throughout the meal.

OK, now I’m saying this so much that even I’m starting to think I’m lying: My Mom MADE me get these wreaths!!! We were checking out accessories in Home Decorator Collection when she suddenly summoned me to the back. She literally called me on my cell phone and told me to come back there. I’m an obedient daughter ( 😉 ), so I went. There, at 75% off in the after-Christmas section, were these beautiful and very full peacock wreaths. “They’re perfect for the plates,” she said. “You need to have those,” she said. “If you don’t buy them, I’ll just buy them for you,” she said. Honest!!!

I’m exhausted! All this explaining myself is really hard work! Please stop back by tomorrow for another peacock tablescape that is a nice respite from the “usual suspects” in Mardi Gras decorating. I’ll post it just before leaving the house to go shopping with my Mom! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Other tablescapes on this site inspired by peacocks:
The Peacock Effect
Peacock Pizzazz
Pumpkins & Peacocks
Pheasants & Peacocks
Proud As a Peacock!

Valentine Tablescape – Queen of Hearts Card Party

February 9, 2014February 9, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 56 Comments

INSPIRATION: Dessert plates found in the clearance section at Tuesday Morning. Just $1.99 for each set of 4!!!

My Mom and I were out scouting after-Christmas bargains and ended up spending nearly an hour in the clearance section at one of our local Tuesday Morning stores. I saw these fun, modern “Queen of Hearts” dessert plates had been marked down 60%, so I scooped 2 sets right up. Imagine my surprise and sheer delight when I checked out and they were actually 90% off!!! I knew I had to do a fun and really different Valentine’s Day luncheon tablescape for my card shark pals. Yes…you people know who you are! (If you’re looking to buy some, I’ve seen them on Amazon.com for $13.99.)
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The rim of the otherwise pink, red & white dessert plates is chocolate brown. Valentine’s Day definitely = chocolate, so chocolate brown 85-in. tablecloth over a 108-in. round one it was!

The place setting begins with hot pink Bormioli Rocco Inca glass chargers purchased in a frenzied shopping spree a couple of years ago. Plain white Corelle plates for the entrée come next, topped off with the dessert plates in 3 of the 4 designs. A starched white cotton napkin drapes off the side of the table from beneath the stack. Simple stainless flatware and curvy Dollar Tree glassware completes the place setting.

Long story short: I found this standard card deck queen figurine on 80% off clearance at a nearby Hobby Lobby. Put her and a King in my basket, and then decided against them at the last minute. Slept on it, realized my huge mistake, got up at the crack of dawn and waited in the parking lot until the doors opened only to find out someone apparently much smarter than me already took them. Horrors!!! Drove to THREE other Hobby Lobby stores that day. Third time was a charm! Not only did I find the King & Queen, but also a Jack! Bent down, kissed the floor (not really…more like a Hollywood air kiss!), thanked the Lord, and hustled on home with my treasures. Interestingly, she was a Queen of Clubs, so I just used Hallmark heart stickers to give her crown and amulet a quickie makeover. Notice how staid she looks compared to the modern, curvy, sexy Queen on the plates. Still, both quite regal! (Seriously…these must have been created by some man with a Sophia Vergara fascination. Just look at “the girls” on that modern Queen!!! 😉 )

After lunch, the dishes and centerpiece will be cleared and IT IS ON like Donkey Kong as we used to say back in the day!!! (Back in what day?!?! I’m going to be chewed up and spit out. I have no idea how to play Hearts or any other card game!)

The vitrine holds plenty of sweet and salty snacks to munch on during the card playing portion of the afternoon.

The dessert plates do quote the 1782 poem that begins, “The Queen of Hearts, She made some tarts, All on a summer’s day…“, so what would this luncheon/card party be without a few tarts? (OK, those of you with randy little minds! Don’t go there!!! 😉 ) Faux tarts are used here for demonstration purposes, but I’ll be making some using mini phyllo dough shells for the luncheon.

I have created score cards for the occasion using my PC. From the looks of it, scoring is very complicated! A pretty red and pink cloisonné heart jewelry box serves as decoration for the side table.

So if you have no plans for Valentine’s Day or just want to do something fun with friends, a Queen of Hearts card party might be right up your alley!

More Valentine’s Day tablescapes on this site:
Should Have Put a Ring On It
Platinum & Pink Valentine
Diamonds Are a Material Girl’s Best Friend
Be Still My Heart
Peonies and Pearls
Chocolate Traditional
Days of Wine & Roses
Love’s Arrow

I’m linking up with The Tablescaper for “Seasonal Sunday” this week and Laurie for her annual Valentine Blog Party. This Thursday I’ll be joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for “Tablescape Thursday” once again. Check it out to see what I’m sure will be a bevy of wonderful tablescapes from talented bloggers all around the world who join these weekly blog parties!

♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!!! ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦

Be Still My Heart – A Valentine’s Day Tablescape

February 5, 2014February 10, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 52 Comments

Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One – Be Still My Beating Heart: Four plate collage

INSPIRATION: Pretty burgundy, black & white dessert plates found on the clearance table at Pier 1 and used here as bread & butter plates.

I hadn’t really planned on doing anything for Valentine’s Day other than what I’ll do for my husband on the 14th, but when I saw these little plates at Pier 1 on the clearance shelf, I had an immediate change of heart…so to speak. 😉
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This Valentine’s Day tablescape for four (two couples or maybe get some of your single girlfriends together for a fabulous night in!) is all about layering. I used three different tablecloths from LinenTablecloth.com to achieve an ultra lush look on this 48″ round table: a 108″ white round, a 90″ black round, and finally a 70″ burgundy square. The layering allows each of the three colors found in the inspiration plates to peek out with the burgundy taking center stage as the color of love.

The table shown here is outfitted with a few pretty votives for dinner, but could be easily transformed to a luncheon table by removing them.

I wanted the place setting to evoke romance, so I used these intricately-embellished American Atelier “Empress” ironstone chargers and soup bowls that don’t usually see much action around here. The standard black dinner plate is part of a set from Walmart. The black-trimmed burgundy raw silk napkins are from the Bombay Co., a retail store I really, really miss. I chose the black Hampton Silversmiths “San Remo” flatware because the detailing on the handles resembles hearts. The stemware is one of my favorites, “Chelsea” from the Godinger collection.

You’ve just gotta have a box of chocolates for everyone on your Valentine’s Day guest list! The Russell Stover (local company!) chocolates here are covered in plain white wrap and adorned with tiny silk rosettes in the same burgundy color found in the top tablecloth.

The centerpiece is simple but pretty. For demonstration purposes here I used silk rose balls, but it would be the crowning touch for your table to go for the real deal. Ask your florist to create them for you or, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, go DIY. (Be sure to keep the finished rose balls in a cool spot before putting them on the table, and be VERY sure there is no water dripping from the floral foam.) Touches of pink in the rose balls help to soften the overall look and add contrast. Three silver-rimmed votive holders with shapes that mimic the black vase are strategically placed. (TIP: When setting a table, look for similar or complementary shapes in the decor pieces you use.)

I just LOVE these stretch chair covers from YourChairCovers.com!!! They are so easy to slip on, stay put even with the wiggliest butts on them, wash and wear with no fuss (no ironin’….y’know what I’m talkin’ ’bout, ladies?), can bounce back & forth between traditional and contemporary dining environments, and they come in 14 colors! YourChairCovers.com carries a wide variety of lovely sashes, too, but I chose this organza one from my repertoire with its fancy beading for a little extra ooh-la-la.

Quick and easy post for a quick and easy tablescape to celebrate with your loved one(s). Please come back in a couple of days to take a peek at my second (and final!) Valentine’s Day 2014 tablescape.

Other tablescapes on this site suitable for Valentine’s Day dining:
Platinum & Pink Valentine
Should Have Put A Ring On It
Diamonds Are a Material Girl’s Best Friend
Queen of Hearts Card Party
Love’s Arrow
Days of Wine & Roses
Chocolate Traditional
Peonies & Pearls
Fete Noir et Gris
Pretty In Pink
Princess Pink Birthday Dinner