Ocean Blue – Starfish & Seashells

June 10, 2014July 2, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 54 Comments

INSPIRATION: Brilliantly blue glass starfish plates by AKCAM in all the colors of the ocean

I hope you’re enjoying your summer! It has been weirdly rainy here in the Kansas City, Mo. area, and I’m just about sick of it. It’s great for the grass and trees and flowers, but it SUCKS for tablescaping!!! So…I’ve dredged up a beach-inspired tablescape that I created and photographed two years ago but felt unworthy to publish because it didn’t meet my potential. I had very quickly thrown it together for an impromptu birthday dinner party (for myself!) using just what I had within reach. (Note to God: Thank you for Ramon and Costco’s prepared meals!!!) I’ve since had a change of heart that says simplicity can be a good thing, and that’s why I’m publishing it today. Well…that and I have no ability to get out on the deck to do anything else but get wet for now!
(Click on any photo, then click again to enhance/enlarge it.)

As with many of the outdoor dining environments I create, this one started with full-length (90″ x 132″) white tablecloths from LinenTablecloth.com on the two 6-ft. folding tables kissed end-to-end. They give the table a crisp, clean, “white linen suit” look that can still be considered casual.

White resin patio chairs add to the casual feel. Inexpensive as they are, they always look great neatly lined up in a row!

When I named this post Ocean Blue, there was a definite reason for it! Look how brilliantly blue!!! Thirteen-inch silver metal chargers are topped with a beautiful 12″ turquoise blue Bormioli Rocco Inca glass charger. The dinner plate is a cobalt blue glass plate from Pier 1. The AKCAM starfish salad and bread plates were purchased at Home Goods a couple of years ago. (To see these plates used in another tablescape with a slightly more formal feel, click HERE for “Surf & Turf Dinner Party”.)

These photos lend even more clarity to the beauty and depth of color on the table. Each place setting is a bit different with either a cobalt, turquoise or white mix-matched salad and bread plate. The flatware is J.A. Henckels “Bellaserra” stainless.

This cobalt blue stemware from Dollar Tree never looked so good on one of my tables! It was the perfect complement to the dishes used!

Soft white cotton hemstitched napkins with our initial are simply folded.

I get a lot of mileage out of these tall clear glass cylinders. Every year I find a new use for them, so I really feel I’m getting my hard-earned money’s worth. Ahem…make that Ramon’s hard-earned money! 😉 Here they are simply filled with every seashell I could put my hands on from around the house. The four cylinders are evenly spaced down the length of the table. (DESIGN NOTE: If you think you might want to extend a bit of the brilliant blue color into the cylinders, consider mixing in a scant few blue sea glass chips, dragon tears, or slivers of agate. You can purchase these items at craft stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s.)

These beautiful turquoise, cobalt and silver mercury glass votive holders are among my favorites! They were purchased at Village Gardens in Blue Springs, MO a few years ago. The color they turn with the candle flickering inside is amazing!!!

I bought a bunch of these fun seashell candle rings from Z Gallerie a few years ago. I don’t use them often, but they’re great for quick, easy decorating.

This tablescape would work nicely for a summertime birthday dinner party, lunch or brunch (minus the candles), rehearsal dinner, or even a casual, laid back wedding reception…especially if the happy couple’s honeymoon is somewhere balmy with sandy shores!

Other tablescapes on this site with a seashell/beach/nautical theme:
All-American Seafood Boil
Tropicana
Caribbean Queen
Flamingos in Paradise
Surf & Turf Dinner Party
Summer Breeze
Old Navy Seafood Cruise

I’ll be back next week with another surf- & sand-inspired tablescape for Cuisine Kathleen’s “Let’s Dish! – Summer Whimsy Tablescape Challenge”. If you’re looking for ideas for casual and fun summer tablescapes, be sure to join me! Meanwhile, this week I’m linking up with Christine from Rustic & Refined. Her new blog party is called “Table It!” I’ll also be linking up again with Susan from Between Naps on the Porch for “Tablescape Thursday”.

Surf & Turf Dinner

August 28, 2012December 12, 2012 / Alycia Nichols / 49 Comments

Back in March I created a tablescape as part of a live auction package for the 13th Annual Taste of Lee’s Summit benefiting the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, Inc. (LSEF). I made good on that prize this past weekend at the lovely home of board member Mary Stilley and her husband, Jim, who hosted a fabulous gourmet dinner for ten. I agonized for months over what to do. In the end I decided to use starfish-shaped plates to represent the “surf” part of the meal, and a play on words and stretch of the imagination landed me at moss-covered balls to represent the “turf.” (Football on the brain already!!! 🙂
(Click on any image to enhance/enlarge it. All photos by Sheri L. Grant)

Starting with a plain white palette (upper left-hand corner and going clockwise), each layer went down in a painstakingly slow manner, measuring to make sure every element was precisely set.

When all was said and done…and after a few very tense minutes when Mary, Sheri and I found ourselves having to raise the billion pound light fixture to accommodate the height of the centerpiece…this is what we had. (Gosh, I wish I had pictures of that! ;-))

Starting with the photo in the upper left-hand corner of the collage and going clockwise, I started by layering two chargers: One a square rattan, and the other a round silverplate. By layering the two, I felt it gave the table the depth it would need once the plates were removed to the kitchen for the actual dinner. It also added both a sort of rough-hewn texture and a glossy shine, two elements I thought represented the surf and turf theme. The square white dinner plate was a good foundation for the colorful mix of blue and white starfish salad and appetizer plates you see here. These plates were in place upon the guests’ arrival, but then whisked to the kitchen just before the start of the meal.

The flatware is from the hostess’s personal collection. I liked the clam shell pattern that fit in with the “surf.”

The cobalt blue stems, seen in various posts on this site, were for water and the clear stems for wine.

The foundation of the centerpiece is the indigo blue “Logarno” glass vase from Z Gallerie topped with a large moss ball. The vase is lit from underneath with a multi-pinspot LED uplight designed to direct light upward into floral arrangements. (Lower right-hand corner of collage.)

The rest of the centerpiece that extends down the length of the table includes a number of repeated elements. Cobalt blue cylinders with the same color as the water stems have chunky white candles for ambient dinner light. Smaller clear cylinders, mimicking the colorless wine glasses, dot the table with white Fuji mums. Smaller moss balls and a few cobalt blue votive holders complete the look.

It was an honor and a delight to work with Mary Stilley who was most gracious to Sheri, Ramon, and me as we set up and broke down the table. She is indeed “The Hostess With the Mostess”!
Many thanks to the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, its Board of Directors, Advisory Board and staff (including Sheryl Franke!) for allowing me to participate in the auction for such a worthwhile cause.

Other posts on this site using blue and green:
“Summer Blues & Greens“
“Under a Paper Moon“

Other posts on this site using cobalt blue:
“Daffodillyicious“
“Peony Power“
“Blue & White 30th Birthday“
“Summer Blues & Greens“

Other posts on this site with a tropical flair:
“Tropicana“
“Summer Breeze“
“Hot Tropical“
“Flamingos in Paradise“
“Oranges & Blossoms“

I’m joining Cuisine Kathleen for the fun blog party known as “Let’s Dish” starting at 6:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday. I’ll also be joining Susan for “Tablescape Thursday” on Thursday morning starting at 9:00 CDT. If you want to see the work of some really talented tablescapers, click on over to join us!

Get Me to the Church On Time!

December 20, 2011July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 68 Comments

All I can say is, “Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to squeeze this in during this busy, crazy holiday season!” (Click HERE if you would like to see all of our indoor Christmas decor for this year.)

A Christmas bridal shower and wedding presents an opportunity to include the flavor of the holiday season without overdosing on it. With this shower, held in the evening, I made a valiant pass at it using some tried-and-true techniques and design elements.

A flowing white cotton full-length linen is the start of an elegant table. The red chargers I have relied upon this season were a great start to a stylish place setting. The red charger (Target) is topped with a decorative gold one from Old Time Pottery. (Click HERE or HERE to see this same technique used with different dishes and silver chargers.) No-name dishes I bought in the early 90s at a discount department store are still a treasure to me today with their traditional holly design.

I just love it when things work out. I went with our linen napkins bearing the first initial of our last name that coincidentally (again, thank you, Lord!) is the initial of the last name the bride will take as her own this weekend. The colorful beaded napkin rings were a steal last year at Old Time Pottery for just 99¢ each!

A mix of gold-rimmed clear (Tuesday Morning) and cherry red stemware (Pier 1) is illuminated by the glow of abundant candlelight.

My old standby goldtone flatware worked well to round out the place setting.

Stock Christmas cards create a menu with the theme of the evening, “Get Me to the Church On Time!” I used this same technique last year HERE for our Christmas season kickoff dinner.

One more “thank you, Lord!” in that I was able to reuse the cranberries used HERE. I created a similar version of this centerpiece made up of various sizes of cylinders parading down the table with vibrant orchids for a beautiful summer engagement party. Click HERE and scroll down to “Love and Orchids” to see that table. Floating cranberries and candles in the cylinders provides multi-level color and ambient light. Full-blown roses with sprigs of bright red berries and holly finish the look.

That’s it! I’m sure the wedding will go off without a hitch, and this will be a Christmas to remember!

Please take a little break from all the hustle & bustle of the season to join the party at Susan’s Tablescape Thursday again this week. There’s so much incredible tablescaping talent out there!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS
FROM ME AND MINE!!!

Photographer/Best Friend Sheri & me!

My supportive, loving parents & me!

Raining Orchids

September 6, 2011July 21, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 117 Comments

Yes, I am going to be stubborn about this. SUMMER IS NOT OVER YET!!! Temperatures have cooled from the horrific triple digits in most parts of the United States to something that feels like autumn, but I assure you it is temporary. It’s a fluke. A hiccup. An anomaly. The autumnal equinox doesn’t start until September 23 for countries in the Northern Hemisphere, so for the next two weeks I’m going to party like it’s 1999!!!

The one concession in my quest to savor the last days of summer will be a move toward deeper colored flowers. A profusion of richly hued orchids (accented with Asiatic lilies on the lamps) are the star of this September/late summer tablescape.

I decided to go with relatively simple pieces down low on the table to allow the higher pieces to fully shine. Standard white full-length poly-cotton table linens are topped with braided edge gold chargers. The gold-banded white china here is from Pier 1.

The white cotton monogrammed napkins are laid upon the plates with a simple fold. Each is topped with a stem of orchids. Because my wallet is lighter than usual these days and this is a demo table, faux orchids are used here. I would, however, recommend the real deal for guests. Orchids can last for hours and hours out of water under temperate conditions.

Bright gold flatware with a barely there pattern is right in line with the simple design.

The stemware is from Godinger’s “Chelsea” collection. I tend to serve a lot of beverages before, during and after dinner, so my table is almost always loaded down with various drinking vessels. Clusters of gleaming crystal always looks great!

Crystal decanters filled with the spirit-du-jour always look pretty. These were a great buy from Tuesday Morning.

The center floral on this 12-ft. long table is a glass cylinder filled with 6-ft.H orchid stems. I arranged the stems to appear to be “raining” over the center of the table. (Click here and scroll down to “Autumn Orchids” to see another way to use these super tall orchid stems in glass cylinders!)

I am a big fan of bringing the indoors out for a little air. Almost everything you love inside your house will look twice as great outside! These lampshades are from our dining room where the palette is predominantly orange.

The lamp base here is constructed of a simple clear glass 31″H cylinder. (Glass cylinders can be your very best friend!! Click here and scroll down to “Love and Orchids” for another great glass cylinder & orchid combo!))

Suspended from the lampshade frame and “raining” into the glass cylinder are garlands of bling along with silk orchids sewn onto fishing wire. I hot glued a rhinestone to the center of each bloom to give it a little more “oomph!” and amp up the sparkle within the glass base.

This offers a glimpse as to how the lamp looks in pitch darkness. I used an uplight turned upside down to project light downward into the glass cylinder. Click here or on the Table Tips tab above, and scroll to Tip #29 to see how this lamp is constructed for this total effect. (For more candle lamps on this site, see “All A’Bloom for Spring“, “Should Have Put a Ring On It“, “It’s All About Me!“, and “Just Us Girls“.)

Join me at Susan’s place, Between Naps on the Porch” for Tablescape Thursday!

Mardi Gras Mojo!

March 7, 2011February 1, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 24 Comments

Poor, sad, pitiful me. I lost my Mojo a couple of months back. I was moping around, sleeping too much, couldn’t concentrate, no pep in my step. To the rescue: My good friend, Rene! The postman delivered a box FULL of Mojo straight from her door to mine: What seemed like hundreds of little curled strips of paper with the word “MOJO” in various colors! What a clever pick me up!!! So to that end, I dedicate our Mardi Gras tablescape from this past weekend to my sweet friend, Rene. Thanks for helping me get me Mojo back!

With just four of us to celebrate the weekend before Fat Tuesday, the space in front of the fireplace seemed just right. I wanted to have as much sparkle and shine and decadence as possible for this tiny table to make it really stand out. I started with these gold fleur de lis chargers I bought at Tuesday Morning 10+ years ago. They don’t get much use, but they sure are fun! To allow the fleur de lis design to stand out, I chose clear dinner plates and see-through green salad plates. Of course, goldtone flatware was in order.

Keeping with the standard Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold, I chose purple stemware with gold embellishment for the water glass and a brilliant emerald green wine glass, both purchased from Pier 1 about 7 or 8 years ago. The clear stems give them a cohesive look.

Cotton napkins in a rich aubergine are gathered with these fabulous jewled napkin rings from Z Gallerie. Hard to tell by the picture here, but they have a fabulous color-on-color Harlequin design.

I bought these painted Harlequin ceramic masks from the clearance bin at Tuesday Morning about ten years ago.

Ah! My motivation! They make a perfect little embellishment at each place setting!

Inexpensive multi-colored sequinned fabric works great as a table topper over a deep green full-length linen.

Something kind of fun was to use these sturdy iron chairs loaded down with fun Mardi Gras-inspired decor. Each chair received a beaded seat pillow, purple for the gentlemen and gold (of course!) for the ladies!

These votive holders are covered in purple feathers (yes, feathers!) and finished off with a band of pretty beads at the top.

So here’s a lesson in “I don’t have any extra money to spare but need the right color vase”101. I took a clear glass cylinder and gently mounded yards of shimmering purple organza into it. I LOVE the effect! It seems to give the vase movement and depth as well as the intended color change. A 6-ft. length of purple, green & gold bead garland drapes from the top of the vase, tucked just inside the rim, all the way down into a pool of Mardi Gras beads.

I’ve pulled back the feathers to better expose the Harlequin ornament (a 25 cent after-Christmas purchase from Tuesday Morning) that merrily dances on the side of the centerpiece.

The crown of the centerpiece is this exquisite profusion of purple, green and gold glittered feathers. (When there’s no money in the budget for flowers, feathers are a great stand-in!) I just started tucking them in, and the end result was what looks to me like one of those Sunday-go-to-meeting hats some of the fancy ladies wear!

Our meal for this occasion was a shrimp boil. I had something completely different planned and already printed on the menus, but our dishwasher went on the fritz a few hours before our guests arrived. It was then a choice to either use (and have to wash by hand) 5 or 6 pots for the original menu or just switch to the one-pot-Wonder. I think I made the right choice!

Have a Fabulous Fat Tuesday, everyone!
Other Mardi Gras tablescapes on this site:
“Laissez Bon Temps Rouler“
“Mardi Gras Lite”
“Mardi Gras Madness”
“Celebrate Mardi Gras!”
“The Peacock Effect”

And the Winner is…!

February 16, 2011July 27, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 20 Comments

As a kid growing up and then as an adult on into my 40s and 50s, I can’t remember ever missing a presentation of the Grammys. Come what may, I’d park myself squarely in front of the television set, ready to “ooh!” and “aah!” at all the luminaries in attendance. I knew every word to every song and would – a la Beatles-first-come-to-America – scream and cry with joy whenever a cutie pie took the stage. It was all so magical. And then came the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, and I was nowhere to be found. I didn’t even DVR it. What’s the point? I have no idea who 90% of the people are, I find many of the outfits abhorring, I took the antidote for “Bieber Fever” before it became an epidemic, I’m not gaga for Gaga, Nelly’s “It’s Getting Hot In Here” means something completely different to a menopausal woman like me, and most of the “music” just sounds like a train wreck to my ears.

I set this vignette up with the seating at the Golden Globe Awards in mind. The guests all enjoy dinner at a beautifully set table and then remain seated there for the awards program. For an occasion such as watching The Grammys, I think it’s perfectly appropriate to set the table up near the television in the living room or family room. Guests can then remain seated at the table for the show or retreat to a nearby sofa.

I started with a black floor-length linen. A red table runner mimics the red carpet that celebrities walk prior to the broadcast. Heavy glass gold-leafed chargers anchor the place setting. My sister-in-law Zatina’s whimsical black and white dinner plates are rimmed with piano keys, and the salad plates are dotted with various musical instruments tumbling across a meandering gold staff. Gold flatware shines against the black linen.

Gold painted Christmas ornaments in the shape of musical notes are used to further “jazz up” the place setting. They stand up easily in the recesses of the napkin fold.

I borrowed a couple of ideas from a table I created for an at-home event a few years back. One of those ideas was martini tasting during the appetizer and/or salad course(s). Cristal is often served at fancy awards dinners like the Grammys, but jet-setters might enjoy something a little different like this. Since each glass only holds about 2 ounces, guests are still lucid enough to enjoy the rest of the evening!

This is another idea I recreated from an at-home event we hosted a few years back. Each guest’s menu was placed in an envelope as if its contents held the name of the winner. Upon opening the envelope to retrieve the menu, the “surprise” was little musical note confetti. I made these menus on our home computer, affixing a red strip of paper across the top of each to again resemble the red carpet.

Finally, the centerpiece. I wanted to do something that was easy, inexpensive, and that created an ambience fit for a star. Nothing says “ambience” like candlelight, and by simply floating candles in glass cylinders at different heights and adding a few votives, I think the mission was accomplished.

This was a fun “idea” tablescape to do! Thanks again to my sister-in-law, Zatina, who presented me with the challenge. I’ll give you your dishes back. I promise! 😉 I hope this table will serve as inspiration for future parties (Grammy night, early supper before the symphony, late dinner after a concert, musical tablescape, etc.).

Rock on, Zatina! I hope you like it!

Other Black & Red tablescapes on this site include:
Little Black Dress
Year of the Rabbit 辛卯

This week, as I proudly do every week, I am joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. After checking out the photos from my Grammy Night table, boogie on over to Susan’s place to see the work of many talented tablescapers from around the globe.

March of the Penguins

December 29, 2010July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 42 Comments

This week, something a little different that was so much fun: Our little Dinner and a Movie Supper Club met at our house. I hated the movie (very graphic documentary…sorry, Jackie, but I lean toward a different kind of mating ritual in the form of romantic comedies! 🙂 ), but decorating the table to go with the movie’s theme was a blast!

So, without further ado, I give you March of the Penguins!

Grownups want to have fun every once in awhile, too, so I wanted this tablescape to have some youthful features with an adult flair. Predominant colors of the evening: black, white and goldenrod (which is fancy talk for yellow!).

A snowy white cotton linen was the foundation for the table. A jolt of color was presented in the form of goldenrod placemats (Bed, Bath & Beyond) turned lengthwise for an elongated effect. A black acrylic charger, plain white dinner plate and solid black salad plate were then topped with a goldenrod napkin. Sophisticated black flatware and Godinger crystal rounded out the setting.

Using my computer and a pair of decorative edge scissors, I created a program for each guest so they’d know what was in store for the evening. The black bow ties were very inexpensive from a clearance rack at Hobby Lobby a couple of years back. I just glued them on to each program with a low-heat glue gun.

Glass cylinders are so great for all kinds of displays! I have them in heights varying from 3 to 31 inches!!! For this tablescape, I used an 11″ x 9″ in the center flanked by two 4″ x 8″. Each was placed atop a 14″ round mirror that gives the illusion of an icy pond. I filled them with a couple of inches of faux snow for a wintry effect, then dropped in penguins, pinecones, bottle brush trees, and shiny silver balls. (I always toss a little iridescent glitter in with the “snow” to give it a little more sizzle!) The taller cylinder was large enough for a white wicker sleigh with a penguin and his Christmas tree along for the ride. Having researched the yearly mating journey of penguins, I decided to mimic their colonies by using them in great numbers all over the table.

These pretty little bottle brush trees only stand about 6″ tall, but they pack a big punch with their shimmering branches that glow by the light of the votive candles.

Tall glass candlesticks topped with shiny silver balls lend height and additional shimmer to the tablescape.

Of course the buffet had to get a little special treatment, too! There’s almost no such thing as “too much candlelight.” Grouping them en masse like this gives an unprecedented look to any tablescape. (They also flatter every skin tone and make everyone look fabulous!) These votives, lined up on 3 sides, softly illuminate the silver balls in the glass cylinders and all the lovely cut crystal on the after-dinner drink tray.

The supper club wants to meet here again next month. We’ll see!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL!!!

To see all the photos from the March of the Penguins tablescape, please click here or on the “Winter” tab above!

This week I am again delighted to join Susan and all the other incredibly talented tablescapers for Tablescape Thursday! When you’re finished here, pop on over and check them out!

Autumn Orchids

November 19, 2010July 27, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 6 Comments

I recently created a few buffet and centerpiece floral arrangements for my friend, Angelynn, who is a caterer here in the Kansas City area. She wanted something with autumnal colors but appropriate for a business occasion at the KCPL Building in Kansas City’s Power & Light District.

All arrangements were created in clear glass cylinders of varying sizes. On the guest sign-in table, this asymmetrical arrangement of fresh mums, leucadendron, and a few curly willow tips was just right. Votive candles and smooth black river rock help to extend the circumference of the arrangement.

There were several areas of soft seating around the room. This is the arrangement as guests entered the reception space using a 39″H clear glass cylinder. Six-foot fresh curly willow is paired with tall stalks of leucadendron and dendrobium orchid stems anchored by greyish-white smooth river rock. The river rock is further extended onto the table, peppered with votives and orchid blossoms.

Another soft seating area on the other side of the room got a variation on the theme of the entry piece. This cylinder is created by submerging stalks of leucadendron and orchid stems, once again anchored with river rock and surrounded by votives. Tip: Both orchids and leucadendron can survive without water for several hours, so if you don’t want the burden of drying out tall floral vessels, feel free to skip the wet stuff!

High boy tables along the window areas have a simple fall mum in a clear glass globe with a few river rocks for added interest and texture. These definitely must have a bit of water to survive!

The buffet arrangements are comprised of tall glass cylinders with lots of 6-ft. fresh curly willow, a few stalks of leucadendron, and two 6-ft. faux orchid stems anchored with river rock for counterbalance and visual interest.

On the guest tables, two different but complementary centerpieces using the clear floral vessels, orchids, mums, leucadendron and river rock with a couple of votives. I did add a couple of quarts of water to these arrangements after getting everything else on the table to reflect the votives dancing nearby.