It’s Pizza Night!

July 30, 2022August 4, 2022 / Alycia Nichols / 11 Comments

I recently posted a decidedly austere, slightly more upscale Italian dinner setting for visiting friends, one of whom is actually from Italy. Born and raised. The same friends back in KC this week on their way home wanted a pizza party. To be specific, a Godfather’s Pizza pizza party!🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️ Wait. What?!?!?!? You’re from Italy and while in the States you prefer, of all things, Godfather’s Pizza?!?!? Whatever, dude.🤦🏽‍♀️

I’m no pizza snob (that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!😇🍕), but I would have thought with all the choices out there we might have done a little different. I love it, too (it takes me back to the 80s and all the fun!), but that just surprises me. Again…my friend is from Italy where pizza was born. Anyhoooooo…still pics in case you missed something in the little video.🙂

I drew inspiration for the table from a guest spot I did on “Better Kansas City” back in 2017 called **“An Offer You Can’t Refuse”** where, along with a TV trayscape, I even reenacted the whole horse’s head in the bed scene!

The general request from our guests was to make the setting akin to our American 4th of July celebration. Uh-huh!🤔 OK…but it’s too hot to do this outside. We’ll just use lots of bright color and add a truckload of flags. Cool?

I bought this iron tiered plate stand on clearance somewhere years ago. It came in handy for appetizer plates (thrift store find!) on the food & wine centerpiece. Herbs were the only “flowers” handy for this quickly assembled soirée.

This will sound quite gruesome, but I treasure these cheese service pieces because they were a gift from a friend who was terrorized over many hours and then murdered. This happened the year after she gave them to me. In her own home in a gated community by a burglar!!! Who *does* that?!?!? She was utterly defenseless, in a wheelchair…living in a gated community for the elderly. Who *does* *that*?!?!?🤬😭 (The coward was caught and prosecuted, but oddly *only* *got* 30 *years* for beating and stabbing a helpless, innocent woman!😡)

On a much lighter and less frightening note, I bought these cute wine covers with mustaches a few years ago. They add a playful little touch.

Limoncello has become a staple as an after-dinner sip around here. It’s really good when chilled to within an inch of its little life! Throw in whole or muddle a raspberry in there for a little extra somethin’-somethin’,

A deliciously dense lemon cheesecake (*not* made by me!) with fresh raspberries for dessert! One of my favorites!!!

My wrists and arthritic little fingers have had a workout the past couple of weeks with all the grating of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano. This week I added freshly crushed dried red pepper to the misery. All totally worth it for the fun we all had!🍕🍕🍕

If you’d like to see other Italian-themed tablescapes on this site, check these out:

That’s it for now! Just remember: 🎶”When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore!”🎶Ciao, bella!

Cena Italiana con Gli Amici

July 18, 2022August 5, 2022 / Alycia Nichols / 16 Comments

We recently hosted two lovely young couples for an authentic (as close as I could get it!) Italian meal. As one of our guests is a native Italian🇮🇹, I wanted the setting to reflect the unfussy style of their region of birth…with my own twist, of course!😉

White on white with wisps of green was the perfect palette to allow the food to look its best. I made copycat Garozzo’s Restaurant dipping oil (you Kansas City area folk know what’s up!😋) and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for each place setting.

Individual wine carafes at each place setting so each person could enjoy their favorite. And we drank A LOT of wine that night!🍷🍷🍷🍷😵‍💫

The faux olive branch centerpiece was a showstopper as guests arrived. It was later moved to a side surface and replaced with a massive platter of pasta for family-style self-service. I sure wish I would’ve had time to photograph that thing! I had meatballs the size of my fist on there!😜

I was tempted to buy plain white cups and saucers for after dinner espresso, but my Mom’s gold & white Dresden won out in the end. Turns out it was a hit as it precipitated deep conversation about world affairs and deceased parents.

I’m pretty sure I ate my weight in bread that night!🥖🥖🥖 Fresh herbs from my own deck garden (and oregano pilfered from my neighbor, Barbara!😇) were used for everything I cooked.

This was the starter that was placed on the table once the centerpiece was moved. Bowls of nuts went alongside the olives already on the table.

If you’d like to see a couple of other posts on this blog with an Italian theme, check these out:

I’m so glad you stopped by! Please drop me a “Ciao!” below if you’d like! And I’d be pleased as pink punch if you would follow me on Instagram! Have a great week!!!!

This post dedication the memory of actor James Caan who passed away last week.

Blueberries & Lemons

August 29, 2021August 29, 2021 / Alycia Nichols / 12 Comments

Summer is drawing to a close…at least on the calendar. Withering heat still plagues us here, but we know relief is a stone’s throw away. My last summer tablescape of the year includes two very prominent products of the season: blueberries🫐, which I buy in copious amounts to flash freeze for winter, and lemons🍋.

Our dining room palette is shades of blue and white on a daily basis, but the addition of sunshiny yellow really perks it up! The table runner is from At Home which has a few good decorative items from time to time. Cobalt blue metal chargers from Pier 1 ground the place settings which include “Mirandela” dinner plates, also from Pier 1. A white ceramic charger separates the two and adds depth. The monogrammed lumbar pillow is from Sew Gracious.

I love the very European design on the plates! These lemon napkin rings around plain white hemstitch napkins work well with the design rather than competing for attention. Faux bamboo flatware with a yellowish undertone easily slips right in for a polished look.

Blueberry Lemon sparkling water…naturally!🫐🍋😉

The centerpiece was so easy to create it’s almost embarrassing.🙈 I have had the Z Gallerie yellow finial urns forever. When I saw the cobalt blue ones on a recent shopping trip to Nell Hills, I knew I had to have them! The asymmetrical faux floral piece is comprised of a single Nell Hills lemon branch nestled among showy palm leaves and spiked with the most fabulous blueberry branches from a little shop (been there at least 40 years!) in Blue Springs, MO, called Petals & Potpourri. Ice cream bowls from Pier 1 hold blueberries and lemons to keep the theme going from base to tip.

Lemon blueberry cake, anyone?

Blueberries, all ready for the freezer!

Just FYI, I get absolutely nothing in return for mentioning products & services or for providing links to various sources. Just sharing the info!

I’m really not ready to say goodbye to summer, but I suppose it has to be. If you would like to check out a couple of other blue & yellow tablescapes on this blog, “Mother’s Day Brunch” and “Sun & Sky” (from 2017 which used some of these same elements in a very different way) might tickle your fancy.

Or if you’re just looking for a tablescape with scads of lemon yellow:

I’m so happy you stopped by! If you wish, let me know you popped in via the comment section below. Have a safe, happy, healthy week ahead!

An Offer You Can’t Refuse

September 28, 2017December 12, 2020 / Alycia Nichols / 2 Comments

The weather is beginning to cool, which means nights snuggled up with a good movie. I’m back with another fun segment from “Better Kansas City”, and if you don’t watch any other clip, YOU MUST SEE THIS ONE!!! My hope is that by including these short demonstration clips from the show (this one is just 3-1/2 minutes), you can get a better grasp of the tablescape construction and the thinking behind each.

And now a few still pics from the set…

I found the black, red & white melamine plates at Hobby Lobby 4 or 5 years ago but never had a chance to use them until now. Disposable (gasp!) Italian-themed napkins are from Tuesday Morning.

Long wicker bread baskets are used for a loaf of crusty Italian bread and a fun tomato and artichoke display that adds color and texture to the buffet table.

I liked the idea of using olives as part of the decor as “The Godfather – Part II” explores “the old country” and the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company (a front company for the Don’s real operations) in America. If you live in an area where olive branches are readily available, by all means…go for it!!! Here in the Kansas City area, however, artificial branches had to suffice. They make the perfect substitution for flowers casually plopped into a Methuselah wine bottle. (This bottle was also used for the wine tasting dinner “September Wine” and “Taste of Wine Buffet“.)

A night in front of the television screen sometimes calls for a good old-fashioned TV tray! Dress it up a little to complement the theme of the movie. Here a black & white checkered placemat is topped with a white dinner plate and the melamine salad plate from the buffet table.

Have a little fun and do something campy or totally unexpected to get guests in the spirit of the theme. Extract some idea from the movie that is easy to replicate. Here, I took a cue from the gruesome yet iconic scene in sleazy film mogul Jack Woltz’s palatial bedroom. My wooden horse’s head is swathed in “bloody” Halloween gauze from Dollar Tree. Fun little thing to put at the doorway as guests come in!

This was fun! Enjoy your next movie night at home!

Other posts on this blog using the horse (all of him!):
Carousel Colors
Run for the Roses
Celebrating Longview Farm
Kentucky Derby Buffet

Other posts on this blog using black, white & red:
Black, White & Red All Over
Black, White & Red All Over Christmas
Grill It Up!
Life Is Just A Chair of Bowlies
Checkered Christmas
Derby Day Dining

Another movie night post:
March of the Penguins

I’m joining Susan’s Tablescape Thursday this week! There are some very creative fall tablescapes you’ll not want to miss!!!

Tuscan Holiday

July 29, 2017July 31, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 8 Comments

A neighbor asked me to help her with the design of a dinner tablescape for an Italian Christmas feast. She wanted to keep the look “very low key.” Further, she wanted the colors to be warm and not “overtly Italian.” My solution was to pair her white bowls with my mustard-color plates. We also used her existing flatware & stemware.

The long, lush centerpiece uses rustic wooden bowls as the foundation. (September Wine to see these wooden bowls & oversized hurricane sleeves used in a similar design on a long Tuscan-style table.) To this I added massive 24″H clear glass hurricane sleeves from Pottery Barn with an ivory pillar candle atop an oil-rubbed bronze candlestick. The outer edges of the bowl are filled with assorted seasonal fruits. To finish the look, fragrant evergreens cut fresh from the yard.

To finish each place setting, a bronzed charger and simple yellow apple serve as a subtle extension of the centerpiece. Rich chocolate linens convey the desired warmth and subtlety.

A few other Christmas tablescapes on this site include:
“Celebrate the Season”
“Christmas in the Woods”
“Kaleidoscope Christmas”
“Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas”
“Christmas Through the Red Door”
“Life Is A Cabaret – New Year’s Eve”
“Waking Up to Christmas – Bedroom Decor”
“Black, White & Red All Over Christmas”
“Christmas 2012 – Red, Black & Silver”
“Checkered Christmas”
“Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas”
“Sugar High Payback”
“Contemporary Christmas”
“Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat”
“Woodland Men’s Tablescape”
“Cranberry Christmas”
“Cranberry Christmas Squared”
“Get Me To the Church On Time”
“Christmas Progressive Dinner”
“White Hot”
“Winter Brunch”
“Really Red Christmas”
“Roman Holiday”
“Cardinal Christmas”
“Frosty the Snowman”
“March of the Penguins”
“Winter Cardinal”
“Ideas for Throwing a Winter Dessert Party”
“Christmas Fiesta”
“Over the River and Through the Woods”
“Black Friday Luncheon”
“Noel Progressive Dinner”
“Old-Fashioned Red & Green Christmas”
“Timberland Christmas”
“Christmas Coffee”
“Warm Metal Christmas”
“Let It Snow“

Brilliant Italian (a re-post from July 2010)

July 26, 2017April 26, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 5 Comments

Summer has become one of my favorite seasons. Sure, it’s hot and often sticky here in the Midwest. That’s to be expected. But there are just so many opportunities for outdoor entertaining that just can’t be taken for granted! My husband and I hosted a little dinner party that involved wine tasting (one of my favorite activities!) to forget about the heat for awhile. Neighbors came over to feast on tasty homemade Italian dishes while sampling red wines from the Adam Puchta Winery in Hermann, Mo.

First things first….gather up all the necessary items and create a menu board. The chalkboard is from Kirkland’s, and it really works out well for casual events!

I let the wine breathe a bit before the guests wandered out onto the deck.

Juicy black grapes to munch on before dinner sit alongside the night’s chalkboard menu.

The pasta dish gets a chance to “rest” for about 15 minutes after pulling it from the oven.

This little table was set up near the dining table so that guests could nibble on homemade bruschetta and antipasto while sipping a glass of wine before dinner.

The 6-ft. oblong table is set for six.

This occasion provided a wonderful opportunity for me to pull out colorful Italian-inspired dishes in brilliant, cheerful reds, blues and yellows. “Yellow Talavera” dishes by Maxcera (TJ Maxx) set atop sunny yellow placemats from Bed Bath & Beyond were the foundation of the color scheme. Bright cobalt blue water glasses (Pier One) juxtaposed clear wine stems. A mix of red roses and playful yellow Gerbera daisies in cobalt blue vessels completed the look. Corks of wine parties past displayed each place card. (Square appetizer plates and red dipping oil bowls from Crate & Barrel.)

You simply can’t go wrong with brilliant colors when serving Italian food!
Mangia, y’all!

Italian Honeysuckle

October 5, 2014April 26, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 54 Comments

INSPIRATION: Our neighbors’ fabulous honeysuckle arbor!

Hello, and welcome to my neighbors’ backyard! This past summer when the honeysuckle on their arbor was in full bloom, they phoned to say get over there and get a tablescape done. You don’t have to tell me twice! The beautiful color in the blooms, though, reminded me more of a fall day. So I created this tablescape (way back in late June!) to bring to you this autumn season. That’s REALLY thinking ahead, huh? 😉
(Click on any photo, and then click again to enhance/enlarge it.)

This is the view from our deck. They’ve got so many beautiful trees! I did another fall tablescape in their yard a couple of years ago, September Wine, that is still one of my all-time favorites.

I wanted the table to convey a bit of elegance, so I started with a flowing, full-length ivory tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com.

I loved how the sun cast long shadows and danced around the table! The time of day this was photographed caught just the effect I wanted! Each place setting started with a mustard gold dinner plate from Pier 1 Imports that I bought at the clearance store years ago. The olive green bowl (for the mostaccioli!) is also a long ago purchase from Pier 1 and is a part of our everyday collection at home.

The tea towel napkins were purchased at Dollar Tree. They really have a pretty decent selection, and I like to use these for napkins when messy food is served. I hung the napkin off the side of the table to add a little color at that level. You will notice how the olive branch motif mimics the centerpiece. The bright red-orange bowls are for my copycat version of Zio’s Italian Restaurant dipping oil. You can find how to make it on my recipe page HERE. This will become a staple in your pantry!

The glassware is standard from Old Time Pottery. The personal wine carafe at each place setting is something I like to do sometimes instead of sitting the actual bottles on the table. Each person can refill their own wine glass at their discretion.

Crushed red pepper and grated parmigiano-reggiano are in bowls that match the dinner plates. The green ceramic water pitcher was a Home Goods purchase from a couple of years back.

Ramon brought a couple of wicker chairs from our master suite for the ends of the table. I plopped in a comfy toss pillow from Home Goods. (This same pillow was used in a recent Asian-inspired tablescape, Chinese Takeout.) The colors work so nicely in this setting!

I arranged a mass of faux olive branches in a towering stoneware vase from Pier 1 that usually sits in Ramon’s dressing area in our master suite.

Thanks to my neighbors for letting me invade their backyard space once again. It really is beautiful with all the trees (just look at that view through the branches!) and flowers and that gorgeous arbor!