Mardi Gras, Baby!

February 8, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 18 Comments

I…AM…STIR CRAZY!!! Nine – count ‘em – NINE weeks since this most recent spine surgery and I am STILL on lockdown for what seems like perpetuity! I’ve been growling and pacing, and I’m just about ready to bite!!! But I am making progress, albeit at a snail’s pace.

Thank goodness for a very welcome email from a freelancer on behalf of TasteOfHome.com who reached out to me for permission to use a photo from my 2013 post, Mardi Gras Madness. My chance to blog without having to do any real work!!! I hope you will pop over to take a look at “10 Centerpiece Ideas for Your Mardi Gras Party” which went live yesterday. I’m #5 on the countdown.

Have a joyful and raucous (but don’t come to me for bail money!😉) Fat Tuesday, and a loving and memorable Valentine’s Day! I”ll see ya when I’m a bit more limber and mobile!

Other Mardi Gras-themed posts on this blog include:
Celebrate Mardi Gras
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!
Mardi Gras Lite
Mardi Gras Mojo
The Peacock Effect
Peacock Pizzazz!

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away so here are a few posts you might consider for planning a celebration of love for your Valentine or Galentines!
Queen of Hearts Card Party
Platinum & Pink
Be Still My Heart
Should Have Put a Ring On It
Days of Wine & Roses
Chocolate Traditional
Love’s Arrow
Peonies and Pearls
French Poodle
Pretty In Pink
Fairy Tale Wedding Shower
Showered In Pink
Princess Pink Birthday Party

I’m happy to once again join all the ladies and gents over at Susan’s place for the 489th Tablescape Thursday. Pop on over to get lots of Valentine’s Day AND Mardi Gras ideas!

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?

Mardi Gras Madness – 2013

February 8, 2013February 27, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 40 Comments

This post is SO appropriately named. I had a whale of a time photographing Mardi Gras colors with a dark, icky sky raining on my parade. The purples are probably going to weird you out, but just throw on a pair of shades and hang in there with me, will ya?! That said, Fat Tuesday 2013 is just a few days away and I wanted to share with you a quick look at where we’ll be partying that day. I can’t wait to get started cooking!!!
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There’s something I’d like to point out if you hadn’t noticed about this table: There’s no centerpiece of any kind! That’s right! None…zero…zilch…nada! The 2 spots where decor would have otherwise gone will be occupied with my version of King’s Cake and a plate of French bread. Here’s the cool thing, though…the absence of a centerpiece is not readily noticeable because of the way the table is set! The “centerpieces” are happily hanging out back there on the hearth.

Each place setting starts with a gold charger which is topped with a clear glass dinner plate and a green glass salad plate. What differentiates each setting is the purple, green, or gold mirrored “disco ball.”

Gold flatware rounds out the place setting, and a colorful noisemaker rests on the charger. It’s Fat Tuesday. There will be lots of noise going on in here!!!

The napkins are folded to resemble the fleur de lis associated with New Orleans and the Mardi Gras season. (It IS a season there in “Nawlins”…not just a day!”) I used this same Pier 1 stemware for one a 2011 Mardi Gras table, “Mardi Gras Mojo” and a 2011 St. Patrick’s Day table, “Upscale Irish”. I really like the gold band around the top.

The background decor uses the same glittered feathers used for the “Mardi Gras Mojo” table as well as the purple, green & gold cords used on the chairs for that post. The 39″ purple glass Vidrios San Miguel vases are from Home Goods.

The mantel is dressed up a little with gold mercury glass votives.

I want to wish my friends in the Northeastern part of the U.S. a safe weekend as the Nor’easter moves in tonight. Hunker down and stay warm!

More posts on this site for Mardi Gras:
“Mardi Gras Mojo”
“Laissez Bon Temps Rouler!”
“Mardi Gras Lite”
“Peacock Pizzazz”
“Celebrate Mardi Gras!”
“The Peacock Effect”

Have a great Fat Tuesday, everyone!

Peacock Pizzazz!

February 21, 2012February 8, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 52 Comments

Peacock feathers. There’s just something about them. They’ve just got that snappy, snazzy, razzle dazzle kiss-my-foot-and-call-me-Your-Highness pizzazz about them. This time of year a peacock feather centerpiece or side piece can really jazz up a tablescape as well as add texture, height, and implied motion.
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No table linen or placemat for this one. The natural wood of the dining table just felt right. What I did for this tablescape, however, was to mix colors and china patterns to mimic the pageantry of the peacock. A goldleafed glass charger is the foundation for an American Atelier “Florentine Gold Scroll” dinner plate topped with a 222 Fifth “Ornamental Scroll” salad plate. The white in the dinner plate helps to break up the heavy concentration of color in the place setting.

The deep teal poly-cotton napkins from Home Goods are cinched with a Pier 1 “Beaded Circle” napkin ring that reminded me of a male peacock’s tail feathers when I first saw them. (Would someone please explain to me how it is that the male peacock got to be the showier one??!?!?! What a rip off!!!)

This goldtone flatware really gets a workout around here in the fall and winter months!

A mix of teal blue stems from Stein Mart and Dollar Tree green stemware pulls from the colors of the male peacock’s plumage.

I found these jeweled peacock place card holders at Tuesday Morning many years ago. For this occasion, a faux gemstone, like those in the holder, is added to the place card.

The peacock feathers I have are 52″ in length and interfered with the light fixture above the dining table. I did, however, want to capture the colors of the feathers in the centerpiece, so I used a single teal glass cylinder with a floating candle centered between clusters of goldtone candlesticks. Like the dinner plate selection, white candles were my choice in order to break up the high concentration of deep hues.

The peacock feathers, arranged in large Vidrios San Miguel green vases from TJ Maxx (also seen HERE), were moved from the dining table to the buffet behind it with a repeat of the teal glass cylinders and goldtone candlesticks. It took a total of 50 quills (25 each vase) to achieve this look. A feather, cylinder, and candlestick display similar to this would look great down the center of a reception buffet table, too!

As a side note, I wanted to demonstrate how this table could be easily transformed to a dramatic Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras look with the simple addition of a mask adorned with peacock feathers at each place setting. This would also make a kickin’ New Year’s Eve tablescape!!!

I hope your Mardi Gras celebration is a safe and fun one! When you finally wake up from your hurricane-soaked gumbo coma, please join me for Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch!

Another tablescape on this site using peacock feathers:
“Proud As A Peacock!“

Mardi Gras Lite

February 14, 2012July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 47 Comments

Fat Tuesday in celebration of Mardi Gras 2012 is just about a week away now!!! Problem is, the term “Fat Tuesday” probably has my photograph posted next to it on Wikipedia. I have been bad, bad, bad, bad, bad the last……oh, let’s say 10 years to be honest. I quit exercising every day but continued to shovel in the food and drink despite the ever-expanding hips, thighs, belly and “Oprah arms” waving back at me in the mirror.

This year, instead of the tower of fried catfish, vat of jambalaya, shrimp étouffé, hush puppies, King’s cake and hurricanes I’ve routinely enjoyed in the past, I’m pledging to lighten up. To that end, I have also created a Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras tablescape “lite”…an upscale, sophisticated, pared down version of the more decadent Mardi Gras style to which I am accustomed and hold so dear.

The traditional hues of purple, green, and gold will still be there in all their glory…just not as over-the top in their presentation. This table might work for those who want the essence of Mardi Gras without the whole “Swing from the balcony and show me your —-!!!” feel. 🙂 (In-laws, bosses or clergy invited for dinner might appreciate the less bawdy tone of it!)

I’ve never used a royal purple table linen for any occasion, but this year it lands on the table as the base of the tablescape. Dual chargers in a gold square and purple cobblestone round cradle a clear glass dinner plate and green glass salad plate, thus incorporating all the traditional colors.

A royal purple cotton napkin is cinched with a flirty bangle napkin ring from Bed Bath & Beyond.

Goldtone flatware works well with the place setting.

I was so pleased to see that I had stemware of a similar shape in purple (TJ Maxx), green (Dollar Tree), and gold (World Market).

I’m going to give credit where it’s due. It was totally my husband’s -who fancies himself “The Tablescape Whisperer” – idea to include the long strands of beads. I resisted, thinking it would be way too cliché to have bundles of them down the center of the table. Plus, I whined, it will take away from the clean lines! We compromised, and I ended up arranging them in this quieter “grid” that frames each place setting as well as the centerpiece elements. Purple, green, and gold glass vases hold simply-arranged royal purple calla lilies. Finishing out the centerpiece are clusters of Mardi Gras “disco balls” that catch the light.

The buffet in back of the table is also relatively staid with a single, albeit oversized, royal purple Vidrios San Miguel recycled glass vase stuffed with an arrangement of graduated purple calla lilies. Using a single piece in a dramatic size and color negates the need for lots of little pieces all over the buffet top. Purple and gold glass votives dot the buffet’s edge and add to the overall ambiance in the room.

I don’t think they make gumbo-flavored rice cakes, so I’ll have to come up with something that will be healthy, filling and tasty without sending me into carb/fat/sodium/sugar overload. Yeah, I know…good luck with that! 🙂 New plan: Stick with the old eating plan, but eat it at the pared down table! Love it!

Please join me for Tablescape Thursday again this week to see how other tablescapers from around the globe are decorating for and celebrating Mardi Gras!
Laissez bon temps rouler, y‘all!!!

To see other Mardi Gras tablescapes on this site:
Laissez Bon Temps Rouler
Mardi Gras Mojo
Mardi Gras Madness
Celebrate Mardi Gras!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

March 8, 2011July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 37 Comments

Bienvenue! Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!
(Welcome! Let the good times roll!!!)

We will be shakin’ our bon-bon and having a grand ol’ time in celebration of Fat Tuesday tonight! Our trusty butler, Geoffrey, even plans to get in on the fun which is so against his staid British upbringing! 🙂

I’ve been busy all morning preparing a slightly more formal table than the way we celebrated over the weekend. The same amount of debauchery, however, is expected as for any Mardi Gras celebration!

I elected to allow the natural wood of the dining table anchor the setting. Over the bare wood I crisscrossed lengths of shimmering purple, green & gold netting.

Each place setting started with a deep purple cobbled charger from Burlington. The china was purchased several years ago at Pier 1. Add gold toned flatware and my trusty Godinger “Chelsea” collection stemware.

Purple gemstone napkin rings from Z Gallerie hug the sheer organza Pier 1 napkins. Here you are better able to see the cobbled texture of the chargers.

The centerpiece is made up of several pieces. First, in a Godinger “Dublin” hurricane, is a mass of free-flowing fresh greenery. I wanted a kind of “messy” look to play off of the more formally arranged carnations beneath it.

Clusters of beautifully fragrant royal purple carnations rest in diminiutive crystal vases.

At each end of the dining table are Godinger “Dublin” cut crystal candle holders.

Graceful purple birds with soft green bellies and long, sweeping tails perch high above each gold candlestick. The birds were purchased wholesale many years ago, but this is the first time I’ve had an opportunity to use them.

One of my favorite parts of decorating is the chance to create something new by combining various elements. The very boxy gold-toned candlesticks are softened by the addition of these bobeches dripping in crystals.

The buffet area is the perfect place to extend the festivities from the dining table. Purple, green & gold mirror balls stretch the length of the buffet with a strand of the same colored beaded garland. On one end of the buffet, a Harlequin doll stands guard over the assorted candies in cut crystal containers.

On the opposite end, a mini bar of soul-satisfying bourbon, scotch and brandy in cut crystal vessels awaits thirsty guests along with fun feathered masks.

I don’t much care for store-bought King’s cake, so I am substituting these lucious homebaked cinnamon rolls. The smell of cinnamon wafting through the house is wonderful!!!

This Beverly Clark cake server with the regal crown on the end is the perfect utensil for cutting and serving the King’s cake!

I didn’t create menu cards for our buffet this evening, but we will dine on a traditional gumbo starter followed by fried catfish, red beans & rice, candied sweet potatoes, collard greens and cornbread. After all, that’s what Fat Tuesday is all about! I wish you and yours a joyous and festive one!

Other Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday tablescapes on this site:
“Mardi Gras Lite“
“Mardi Gras Mojo”
“Mardi Gras Madness”
“Celebrate Mardi Gras!”
“The Peacock Effect”

In the browsing mood? I hope you will take the time to visit Susan and the other tablescapers at 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”