Pink (soft)

Peaceful Cherry Blossoms

/ Alycia Nichols / 17 Comments

I have perhaps finally gotten the hang of adding a wee bit of voiceover to my videos. This is my first, so please grant me your kind mercy! (In my head I sound like the very Scottish Mrs. Hughes in “Downton Abbey” when I say that !🤣🤣🤣)

April is on its way out, and I’m getting this post up just by the skin of my teeth! While Missouri isn’t exactly the cherry blossom capital of the world, we have our fair share of beauties. Our orchard when I was a kid had several that always produced the most magnificent show of color! As for the fruit…well, the birds got the lion’s share of that.🙄

The centerpiece starts with a fountain of pink and white faux cherry blossom branches assembled in a simple white cylinder. To more closely tie in with the plates, I added a number of bare branches.

There is no discernible maker imprinted on the back of the plates, but I bought them at Home Goods. They have a bit of a lip all around which makes them great for any variety of entrées. The soft pink glass chargers are from Hobby Lobby.

I absolutely LOVE the gold tone stick-thin flatware and colored glassware, all from Home Goods.

I have no recollection where I may have bought these faux bonsai, but they’re a wonderment for Asian-inspired decorating.

This magnificent monogrammed lumbar pillow is from the supremely talented SewGracious Monograms.

The goldtone pagoda lanterns are from a decor boutique here in the city of Lee’s Summit where we live called Cameron’s Home Furnishings. I love to go there to browse, and I almost always find something I simply “can’t live without.”🙂 The sake set is from World Market.

I love to use fabric cocktail napkins even when I’m just having a glass of ice water, and I have quite an expansive collection. These were recently acquired fromThe Robin’s Nest on ETSY, and I can’t say enough great things about the design!

This tablescape works well for cherry blossom season celebrations, National Cherry Pie Day (already come and gone this year, but will make its return on Monday, February 20, 2023), George Washington’s birthday, ladies’ birthdays, bridal or baby showers, the promotion of breast cancer awareness, or for any Asian-inspired occasion.

Interested in seeing more Asian-inspired posts on this blog? Check these out:

Really into pink like I am? Take a look at these posts!

Like big, overreaching centerpieces? Here ya go!

And this post, Life Is Just A Chair of Bowlies, is great fun if you just love cherries!🍒🍒🍒

Thank you for stopping by to say hello! I always appreciate it!

Easter Breakfast Room

/ Alycia Nichols / 16 Comments

Easter Sunday is just about a week away now. Whether you’re hosting a big family affair or just taking it easy, you still have to eat a good breakfast. Why not set the table the night before and start the day with something slightly luxurious without too much fuss?

It will be just the two of us for Easter Sunday breakfast at the kitchen table, but we both have hearty appetites! So yes…we’ll be eating ALL the foods!😋

I always try to add a little something extra special like these rose-topped sugar cubes for our coffee.

“Carnegie” by Christopher Stuart iced beverage glass with a pineapple motif sits alongside Cristal d’Arques “Ashville Gold” champagne flutes for mimosas.

Hey! Don’t judge! It’s been a LONG Lenten season. Our sweet tooth has some catching up to do!

These sweet wood bunnies have been sold at Hobby Lobby for several years now. This one looks so at peace…right in line with Easter Sunday.

We can be a couple of Messy Marvins, so I often employ full-sized decorative towels as napkins. These are from those bins we all know and love at the front of every Target store!

You may recognize this arrangement from my recent post, Bunny Pink Easter Luncheon. It found its way here to the breakfast bar for the season.

A few Easter touches added to the ever-present coffee bar.

I love my collection of Grace Teaware “Pin Dots” pink dishes.

Still looking for just the right tablescape for your Easter celebration? Check out these past Easter/Spring posts for ideas!

Next week, just in time for the Easter Bunny himself/herself, I’ll have a fun tablescape that kids and adults will enjoy!

Bunny Pink Easter Luncheon

/ Alycia Nichols / 15 Comments

Less than two short weeks and counting until Easter Sunday! I have a few ideas that I hope will serve to inspire as you prepare your table this year. First up, a lovely luncheon or brunch table sure to delight your guests.

I’m so thrilled to finally use these Kate Spade “Rutherford – Pink” dishes!!! They are a favorite in my collection! For a fabulous tribute to a Breast Cancer survivor or a sweet bridal or baby shower, just swap out the bunny, ears, and eggs!

Each guest treated to a pair of bunny ears from Dollar Tree. Great for selfies later!

Flatware from my Mom’s house that I thought would be fun with this setting.

The blush of just barely pink glassware from Home Goods doesn’t compete with the dishes.

The pink and white checked table runner is a fortuitous Hobby Lobby find from last year.

Who’s this handsome fellow? Why, it’s BARTON, of course! My year-round bunny who lives all over the house! Barton stands in a Home Goods basket surrounded by a lush menagerie of muted faux greenery, berries, and tulips. I added a trio of metal garden spheres from The Painted Sofa in Kansas City, MO, and a fabulous oversized bow tie from Nell Hills.

I’ve had all kinds of ideas for Spring and Easter tablescapes over the years. Some wild, some weird, some peacefully wonderful. If you’d like to check them out, here’s a sampling!

Stay tuned for a couple of new Spring/Easter tablescapes I hope you’ll enjoy!

Pink Cheetah Ladies Luncheon

/ Alycia Nichols / 18 Comments

Egads!😱 Has it really been nearly FOUR MONTHS since I last posted?!?!? That post-Christmas cleanup kinda wiped me out, so I took a step back. Apparently WAY back…off a cliff and into oblivion!😄 It’s springtime now, and I’m ready to jump back in feet first with this mix of pastel pink and moody black inspired by tableware bought at Hobby Lobby last year. (Yes, I know…I’m slow as molasses!)

With my 1st pastel tablescape of the 2022 Spring season, I made an easy transition with the use of black ceramic that played off the cheetah’s spots.

A setting ready to take on a soup, sandwich, and side entrée.

Black-handled “San Remo” flatware from Hampton Forge Silversmiths adds a touch of formality.

There’s always time for just “one more” cup!

My late Mother’s Mikasa “Elegance – Black” iced tea stemware paired with pretty silverplate goblets.

The black napkins are transformed into individual bread baskets at each place setting.

The sleek black lidded vases are a Tuesday Morning purchase from many years ago.

Tulips. A sure sign of Spring! These faux beauties in a range of pastel colors are from the famed Nell Hills boutique in Kansas City, MO.

As I generally prefer, the vitrine behind the dining table is laden with after-luncheon sweets and spirits.

Silver cordials from my Mom’s collection along with junior-sized snifters for a lovely Oatmeal Raisin brandy from my friend, Dixie, that despite its homespun cookie name will knock you on your keister!

A matching side floral. Tulips – real or fabulously faux like these from Nell Hills – are so easy to assemble to create gorgeous arrangements.

Champagne-Blackberry cake to finish!

I wish you the best Spring possible given the state of the world at present. Let’s all be kind.🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

If you would like to visit a few more Spring-inspired tablescapes on this site, click on the links below. And please follow me on Instagram!

The Power of Pink

/ Alycia Nichols / 16 Comments

It’s no secret I love the color pink. It has the power to simultaneously soothe and energize me. “Coquettish” is how it has been described, but I am invincible when cloaked in it or when my surroundings bathe in it. I’ll take it! Serve it up any way you want…from the softest blush to the boldest bright…like Shelby in Steel Magnolias”, “Pink is my signature color!”

At times I opt to keep the drama of a table confined to a single element. For this one, the WOW is in the waterfall of graceful florets (Nell Hills) spilling from a trio of tower vases.

The softness of this tablescape lends itself to the most feminine events: birthdays, wedding or baby showers, Mothers Day, Breast Cancer Awareness, or just a much needed girls’ night in.

I used these same floral branches in a totally different way in the recent post “Solemn Stars & Stripes“. White flowers instead of pink are used to keep the table from looking overly “sweet” and saturated.

A mix of old china and new Grace Teaware gold-dotted porcelain with a gorgeous pink band sits atop gold-leaf glass chargers. The faux pearl napkin rings are actually 2 rings fitted together for more girth, a trick I first used in the post “Peonies & Pearls” back in 2012.

I am so excited about and in love with these shapely gold-rimmed beverage glasses from Nell Hills!!! They are quite substantial in hand and easily pair with many items already in my repertoire. The blush pink stemless champagne glasses (Michaels) mimic the bowls with their generous sprinkle of gold dots.

This white pheasant has made an appearance in autumn posts like “Pheasants & Pumpkins” and “Candy Colored Autumn“, but never in a spring/summer setting. He just looks right at home here, though, so…voila!

These glass lamp votive holders are a favorite of mine, but I have rare occasion to use them. I bought them on clearance at Pier 1 some 20+ years ago in 3 colors, and they add just the right amount of ambient light at a slightly raised level. (I used the purple shades for “Celebrate Mardi Gras!” in 2014 but still haven’t found the right time and place for the red ones.)

The vitrine holds coffee service and dessert that includes assorted confections on a tiered tray and cupcakes under a fluffy cloud of pink frosting.

If you like pink as much as I do, check out these posts!

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit my little blog! I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. I’m also on Instagram if you’d like to follow me there! Enjoy your day!

Cherry Blossoms

/ Alycia Nichols / 18 Comments

Before the cherry blossom season gets entirely away from us, I wanted to slip this little post in under the wire. I posted it on Instagram a couple of weeks ago, but completely forgot to do it here. Too much technology!

I’ve had these Royal Stafford cherry blossom dinner plates for years and have never used them for anything. I thought it about time I remedy that! The darker (faux) bamboo flatware works well alongside the dark branches on the plates.

This larger gold pagoda is a new purchase from a local furniture store, Cameron’s, in downtown Lee’s Summit. I only bought one. Dumb! Need to get my hips back there to get another before they’re all gone!

My Mom brought these tiny gold pagoda back from her travels. I always admired them and was delighted to have her gift me with them before she died.

Bulb vases from Nell Hills.

A new tea/bar cart in the dining room! I like having 3 tiers to work with. The other vintage cart (from my Mom that dates back to the late 50s/very early 60s) has moved into the library.

A simple pale pink cake stand in stark contrast to the more intricate cut crystal champagne bucket behind it.

Hope this inspired you for some future tablescape of your own!
Happy May, everyone!

If you would like to see other Asian-inspired tablescapes on this site:

A White Sport Coat & A Pink Carnation

/ Alycia Nichols / 20 Comments

Marty Robbins. Anyone? Anyone? If you’re in my age group, or if you’re a fan of vintage country music, you recognize the name and the tune. And now you’re gonna be involuntarily humming it for the next 2 days! “A white sport coat, and a pink carnation.” You’re welcome!😁

The late, great design innovator Joe Nye and I both have a soft spot for the oft-maligned carnations. Gorgeous? Check! Fun texture? Check! Fabulous fragrance? Check! Affordable? Hell to the y-e-s, CHECK!!! CARNATIONS! I kept my affinity for them on the down low until I soaked up the pages of his book “Flair” years ago. He unapologetically flaunted carnations, pink ones in particular, in his fabulous chinoiserie table designs. So without further soapbox cheering on their behalf, I give you my 2021 Mothers Day tablescape featuring…(insert wild guess here)…pink carnations!

A mix of new and not-so-new purchases make up this proper pink, crystal-laden tablescape. Although the dishware has a vintage look, it is new from Home Goods. Joseph Sedgh “Floral Blush” china with its barely there pink and tinges of gold teams up with a trio of stemware. The red wine glass is a very subtle pink, while the gold-rimmed champagne flute and water glass are clear. A delicate faux pearl ring encircles the crisp white hemstitch napkin.

Fluffy pink carnations crowd gold textured floral vessels to create a dramatic yet very feminine centerpiece. Using multiples in 2 sizes adds visual interest. The crystal candlesticks are dripping with facets that catch the light reflected from the scattered crystal votive holders beneath.

On the vitrine is a simple dessert and coffee set up with some of the same elements from the dining table for continuity of color, texture, and theme.

Well, that’s it for me this Mothers Day week! I plan to spend Mothers Day at home just puttering around our yard. What are your plans? I’d love to hear them! Whatever you do, I wish you health, wealth, wisdom, and peace.

If you like pink as much as I do, here are a few other posts on this site just bursting with it!

Christmas 2020 – Bedrooms and Dressing Room

/ Alycia Nichols / 13 Comments

Well, it’s crunch time! So here are the last photos of our home for the Christmas 2020 season! Our bedroom suite and one of the bedrooms are good to go! And for a little something-something extra, there are pics at the end of the outside décor which netted us 2nd place in our neighborhood Christmas decorating contest!

Also, folks, I still have absolutely NO idea what I’m doing with this new version of WordPress, so please bear with me. I keep losing content, thinking I’ve posted one thing but it turns out to be something totally different. It’s so aggravating!!! I’ll try my best to get better for upcoming posts.

INSPIRATION:

My inspiration was a little different this year. With in-person shopping and other activities severely curtailed, I’ve found myself spending a lot more time upstairs in my bedroom and office over the last 9 months.

Top of the stairs with a peek into one of our guest bedrooms. I decided to keep the décor more traditional in the hallway and guest room as a smooth segue from the entry hall down below.

The vintage tray belonged to my Mom. She bought it from a swanky store called The House of Modern back in the late 50s/early 60s.

My final Pier 1 purchase before they closed the doors on the brick & mortar stores: battery operated candles with VERY realistic flames. The sign on top was a gift from my Mom.

This guest bedroom is my favorite in that I have had many treasured guests bunk in here. While there can be no guests in this year of COVID, I still wanted to treat the space to a few decorative goodies. I really like the double wreaths at the foot of the bed!

Our bedroom décor is fairly simple this year. I was starting to run out of steam! I love this little “Charlie Brown” Scandinavian-style tree. Something about it always makes me smile. The ornaments are always kept to a minimum on it. A decorated swag is perched atop the armoire and gracefully hangs down one side. I used 2 sizes of lights to give it depth. Layered shades of white all over the bed make it so inviting!

Finally, my dressing room/closet! I’ve wanted to decorate it in pink for a long time, and this year I just went for it! I already had the French poodle (longtime readers may remember her from my “French Poodle” tablescape back in 2013 and my 60th birthday celebration “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” in 2018), the pink feather boa I used as a tree skirt, the Paris sign I used as part of the topper, and the hat box. They were the inspiration for this space. I found the fun poodle and Eiffel Tower ornaments at Walmart this year, so that sealed the deal! A long strand of pink lights along the top shelving illuminates the room and makes me feel ultra-feminine!

And that concludes the inside Christmas décor for 2020!!! If you’d like to see bedroom décor from a previous holiday, check out “Waking Up To Christmas“. Keep scrolling down if you would like to see pics of the outside that garnered us 2nd place in the subdivision contest. The photos really don’t do it justice at all, but what the heck!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS!!!!!!!!!

12 Days of Christmas Dining Room for the Christmas That Wasn’t

/ Alycia Nichols / 24 Comments

So…my first real post after a 2+ year absence. Hmmmm…I think I’m just going to let the photos do most of the talking. I’m still feeling this whole new WordPress thing out, but I decorated inside and out like it was 1999! No matter that parties and teas and luncheons will not take place here in these times of COVID-19. This is for US…for you! I’ll start with the Twelve Days of Christmas dining room and then move through the rest of the house in follow-up posts.

DESIGN INSPIRATION:

“12 Days of Christmas” dinnerware from the Better Homes & Gardens Christmas collection purchased 2 years ago but first used this season.

The pink dresses worn by the “9 ladies dancing” on the dinnerware drove the color scheme this year. I did my best to incorporate other elements from the song on the table including the “swans a-swimming” (the white porcelain swan centerpiece and the Limoges salt & pepper cellars), the “geese a-laying” (salt & pepper shakers my Mom brought back from her Bucket List trip to Dubai in early 2019), the gold (numbered napkin) rings, the partridge, and pears. The candelabra are from my days as a fine rental shop owner. As I’m still trying (without much luck) to select new dining room chairs, ballroom chairs with metallic gold covers fill the void.

I have never bought flocked trees because of the mess, but this year I couldn’t resist. Pencil trees are my jam now as a space saving measure, and these fit nicely in the dining room. Ornaments pick up the bright, festive colors from the dinnerware and include the “ladies dancing” (with a nod to Misty Copeland) and various wind instruments representing the “pipers piping.” The large gold metal reindeer have been used in other Christmas settings past including on the porch for “Better Late Than Never, Part 1”, flanking the single large tree for “Twas the Night Before Christmas Progressive Dinner“, and actually ON THE DINING TABLE for our “Christmas Progressive Dinner” back in 2011. A smaller version of the big boy reindeer makes an appearance here atop a storage chest on a silver tray filled with festive fruit, lights, and greenery.

The vitrine that was in our library for 15 years has now taken up residence in the dining room. Makes serving before and after dinner drinks (the norm if you’re a guest here for dinner!) much more convenient.

The smaller china cabinet on the east wall gets the full lighted greenery treatment that snakes through the collection of aluminum vessels, some filled with faux pears for the season. Inside, a simple pair of small evergreens (with more geese a-laying!) add a touch of Christmas. A trio of rustic evergreens tucked on the side of the cabinet add even more light to that corner.

That’s it for the dining room! It’s getting pretty close to Christmas, so I guess I’ll have to hustle it up getting the other rooms posted. See you soon!

If you’d like to see more Christmas settings from years past, just scroll down to “Christmas” under Categories toward the top of the sidebar to the right. You’ll pull up 30+ holiday entries from which to choose including a couple of my all-time favorites, “Black, White & Red All Over” and “Tartan on the Tee“. If you’re specifically looking for more pink-infused Christmas celebrations, pop over to my 2012 dining room, “Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas” or a little something-something from 2014 called “Confectionery Christmas” both of which are very kid-friendly.

Thanks for seeing me through my return to blogging!
I hope to see you again and again in the coming months!

Pretty In Pink (a re-post from April of 2010)

/ Alycia Nichols / 17 Comments

My parents are very special to me, and I snatch every opportunity to celebrate them. In April of 2010 I hosted a good old-fashioned ladies’ luncheon for my Mom and a few of her closest friends.


The woman of the hour/birthday girl, Sen. Yvonne S. Wilson, a.k.a. Mom!

 

Hustle and bustle to create an inviting surprise for the guests with a pink strawberry sangria service on a petal-filled silver gallery tray in the foyer.

 

 

The guest of honor makes her entrance!

 

The Ladies’ Luncheon honoring my Mother’s 81st birthday had a tablescape reminiscent of childhood fantasies. A 12-ft. table placed in the living room maximizes space and takes advantage of south-facing windows that catch the afternoon sun. A setup such as this would also work very well for a Mother’s Day brunch/luncheon, a pink & white wedding, or a Breast Cancer Awareness Month luncheon.

 

The menus were created on my home computer, cut and affixed to colorful cardstock, then finished with a simple silk rosebud from a craft store. The monogram watermark on the menu pays tribute to the honoree.

 

My Mom is a “super shopper” who loves snappy shoes and handbags!!! I chose these pewter shoe and handbag place card holders for that reason. My Grandmother used to say, “The devil is in the details.”

 

A “girlie” yet sophisticated place setting is made easy with a mix of traditional & contemporary pieces. Heirloom flatware completes the essentials. The Maxcera “Victorian Toile Rose” luncheon plates – a contemporary square – are adorned in traditional Victorian roses. White “doily” plates from Pier 1 are just perfect for dessert! Silver pew cones (often used for weddings) are brought into service as eye-catching and unusual napkin holders. (Also used for “A Dorothy By Any Other Name“.)  The striped pink/green/yellow/white cotton placemats from Pier 1 are reversible. (See the other side at “Days of Wine & Roses“.)

 

 

The “devil in the details” shows up again in each cup that bears the graceful image of a rose just inside the lip.

 

 

Branches dotted with cheerful cherry blossoms (from Costco of all places!) add height to the spring tablescape without blocking the view from across the table. Decorating with cherry blossoms is a colorful nod to the spring season. Petite bouquets of pink roses and fresh eucalyptus in crystal vases complement the tablescape’s motif, add texture and subtle fragrance, and make a nice take home treat.

 

Keeping with the overall color scheme of the tablescape, the ladies sipped pink sparkling lemonade adorned with a fresh strawberry. A thin slice of lemon in each water glass adds color.

 

 

 

I’m no gourmet cook, but I think food should complement the setting and vice versa. Finishing off the meal is a 6-inch, four-layer, luncheon size pink-tinted vanilla-almond cake with a crown of frothy white. The  cake is adorned with fresh strawberries. Fanned strawberries and fresh lemon leaves sent by a California friend accessorize each plate. Last but not least, a choice of vanilla or strawberry ice cream served up in a miniature martini glass.

 

Serving  coffee and/or tea with dessert is an age-old custom. Here the pink & white Silvestri “Sculpted Rose” tea service is ramped up with the addition of fragrant pink rose petals arranged on an heirloom silver tray.

 

Front Row (l to r): Wilhelmina Stewart, Delia Young (now deceased, she is the lady who encouraged me to start my blog), Sen. Yvonne S. Wilson, and Rosemary Lowe. Back Row (l to r): Alycia Nichols, Irene Watson, Thelma Crawford, Rep. Shalon “Kiki” Curls, and Liz Wilson.

The honoree, guests, and hostess!

Other pretty pink tablescapes on this site include:
Peaceful Peonies
Days of Wine & Roses
Peonies & Pearls
Chocolate Traditional
Platinum & Pink Valentine
Blushing Bridal Shower
Easter Floral
Easter Bloom
Pink Plaid & Posies
All A’Bloom In Pink For Spring
Princess Pink Birthday Dinner
Showered In Pink
Easter In Pink & Grey
French Poodle
Peony Power
Fairy Princess Party
Fairy Tale Wedding Shower
Blurred Lines With Shades of Pink
Tea Roses
Coming Up Roses
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Pretty In Pink, Wicked In Spurs – Breast Cancer Awareness
Bald Is Beautiful – Breast Cancer Awareness
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas