Gotta lead with this because it was SO exciting for me:
THIS IS ME WITH
NELL HILL’S OWNER, MARY CAROL GARRITY!!!
Talk about over the moon!!! Many of you may know Nell Hill’s from Mary Carol’s books like Rooms We Love, Entertaining In Style, O’ Christmas Tree and Feather Your Nest, or from the extraordinary shopping experience that is worth the travel time to get there. I shop at Nell Hill’s, about 40 minutes from our home, every time I go for an appointment with my surgeon, but I’d never actually run into Mary Carol. I wasn’t brave, but my son told her how much I admire her and asked if she’d mind taking a photo with me. She cheerfully obliged, and…here it is!!! We’re both “vertically challenged”, have the same hairdo, and like wearing scarves…practically twins!!! 🙂
This season I’ve presented both traditional and contemporary takes on fall tablescapes, and today I’m doing a mashup of customary and novel colors that work together to create a different, yet somehow familiar, tablescape.
We’re back in our dining room today with this casual table for 6 with colors extracted from the same runner I used in “Autumn Chinoiserie – Classic Blue & White” a couple of weeks ago. (This runner is now a part of the permanent autumn decor in the dining room for this season as seen in “Autumn Flourishes 2017” in last week’s post.) I am getting a lot of mileage out of this versatile plaid runner! The colors remind me of Skittles candy!
So…drawing from the colors of the runner (see how it picks up on the colors of the artwork on the wall?), I started with a shiny metal charger (Pier 1) in an electric blue. Not a typical color associated with autumn, but when offset by the goldenrod Pier 1 dinner plate and creamy ivory soup bowl, you start to see how well it works. To add softness and a bit of texture, a deep berry-colored (complementing those in the centerpiece) brushed cotton napkin (Pier 1) is slipped beneath the bowl (Kirklands). Faux bamboo flatware (JC Penney) and substantially weighted amber glassware (Marshalls) finishes the place setting.
The straightforward and relatively inexpensive centerpiece is made up of traditional elements including various gourds and pumpkins ranging in shades from the deepest orange to the purest white, deep nutmeg-toned berries, plump white snowberries, acorns, and a twist of wild vine to visually consolidate it.
On the buffet behind the dining table is a simple vignette that mimics the elements on the table. A heavy aluminum bowl filled with white mini pumpkins shares center stage with a white pheasant. On each side are oval Pier 1 platters that match the dinner plates and a charger as a simple backdrop to a single white pumpkin.
A few other fall tablescapes on this site you might enjoy:
Warm Fall Colors
Dinner With Friends – Gumbo Dinner Party
September Wine
Pumpkins & Peacocks
Autumn Blues
Pears & Pine Cones
September Harvest Breakfast
Simply Bittersweet
Ap-pear-ently Autumn
Casual Fall Harvest Dinner
Italian Honeysuckle
Quick & Casual Fall Dinner
Autumn In Cactus Country
Sunflower Simple
Most Egg-cellent Fall Breakfast
Copper Zen
Serape High Style
Pheasants & Pumpkins
I’m joining Susan’s Tablescape Thursday bunch again this week. Check out other fall ideas from a lot of talented tablescapers from all over!!!
Tablescapes at Table /Twenty-One 
Good morning, Alycia! So wonderful that you were able to meet the store owner. I’m always a bit shy too when it comes to introducing myself. Love the colors in your tablescape. Plaid is always perfect for the holidays.
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I have been seeing more blue with the browns and oranges of autumn this year and I have to say I love it!
Your table looks beautiful and elegant. Love the picture of the two of you, I could hardly tell you two apart – twins separated at birth for sure! 😉
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I love your leading photo – how fortunate to finally get to greet her in person! Your table looks terrific, and plate stack could be well-suited for Mountaineer (gold & blue) dinner! Love the petite wine service at each place. Those little bottles are the bomb.
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How pretty! It looks like we were both serving soup on our tables, Alycia. How exciting to take a picture with Mary Carol Garrity. Lovely picture of 2 very talented women!…Christine
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How nice is this arrangement. The colors are somewhat subtle yet you know they are there. Very nice. Love the blue chargers.
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Love your tablescape and especially the bamboo flatware. If I lived nearby, the two of us would be at Nell Hill’s all the time. Love that shop! By the way, I am vertically challenged too (5″1″) and wear my hair just like you wear yours. Yet another reason why you and I are so much alike! You, and I, and Mary could be triplets 🙂
Loads of Love,
Susan and Bentley
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I’m so jealous! I love all of the Nell Hill books and would love to go to the store. How exciting that you two were able to meet and have so much in common. Your tablescape is beautiful. I love how the colors on the table play off the art on the wall. Beautiful! Oh, I covet those soup bowls too.
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Alycia, I love the photo of you and Mary Carol Garrity…I have all of her books and I would love to be able to shop at Nell Hill! Your table is beautiful with all the layers, textures, and colors…I need some bamboo flatware. The centerpiece is the finishing touch to a gorgeous Tablescape!
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The plaid runner and electric blue chargers are making me weak in my arthritic knees!!!! That is such a rich shade of blue and doable year round. My daughters have forbidden me (ha-ha) to buy any more flatware. If I go to Penney’s and see the faux bamboo those babies are mine all mine. Great picture with Mary Carol. Nell Hill is new to me and it’s time to find out more about her. Thanks for the eye candy!
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Yippee for you meeting Mary Carol Garrity! Love those white pumpkins!
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You and Mary Carrol Garrity- what a fun moment! The first thing I noticed was how your hair styles were similar and that you both had scarves on! You both look so cute hugging each other.
Love the blue accent- it’s unexpected but that’s the fun part! You are good for showing how to think outside the box! Your center arrangement is fantastic. I love Pinot Grigio 🙂
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I am mad for plaid over that runner on your bare wood table Alycia, fabulous! I have actually been to Nell Hill’s, such a treasure trove, and lucky you to meet her! My parents grew up in Atichison believe it or not, so we were there for a family reunion, would love to go back!
Jenna
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Eeeek…you finally got to meet Mary Carol?!!!!….How exciting!…So glad your son was “brave” I am surprised, you being your confident self that you did not run up to her and give her a big hug….with permission of course! After meeting her I think it would have been hard to concentrate on shopping! Now let’s talk table…..Yes, you are getting lots of mileage out of that beautiful runner….love the natural centerpiece and love how you used the gold and navy tones. I love when you tie in your buffet with the table…simple, elegant and just the right amount of festivity….Oh I love your smiling fact as you hug M.C. You two look so cute together….yes, Twins!!!!
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The picture of you and Mary Carol just made me smile… it’s funny how you two had smile similarity… you meeting her would be like the same feeling of me meeting you.. (on my bucket list).. once again you’ve nailed the perfect tablescape for Fall… nothing says Fall like plaid
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That’s so cool you got to meet the owner, that was so sweet of your son to get you a photo op!! I love those white pumpkins in that bowl too!!
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Oh my gosh Alycia, how super exciting for you!!!!!! You both look adorable together, too. Love your pretty table and that runner again. Thanks for sharing the happiness with us!
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That picture is a riot. You both look so happy to have met. We can never have enough friends. I love it when things like that happen and I love that your son made it happen. I would love to take your class and I am blown away that you took your class to your house! When I first began to look at the pictures, I thought those fingers were tongues. I wasn’t sure if I could handle it. I’ve been watching some scary movies this Halloween weekend. In the dark. Alone. In the old building. In the dark.
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Oh, love the pic with Mary Carol and what a thrill! Glad you were able to meet her. Yes, I agree, practically twins. I loved being able to shop in her store when I lived in KC area and sure miss it now. She has a nice website and blog too. Love the blue plates popping on your table with the plaid tablerunner. Great choice on it and your pumpkins in several shades of color.
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I LOVE the faux bamboo flatware!! Gorgeous all around, Alycia!
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