Woodland Men’s Christmas Tablescape

December 17, 2013December 20, 2013 / Alycia Nichols / 60 Comments

INSPIRATION: Fleece fabric found at Hobby Lobby

We’re getting so close to Christmas, and I just had to get this masculine tablescape in! This tablescape filled with organic elements is another of the tables created for my Winter 2013 “Art of Tablescaping” class taught through MCC-Longview in Lee’s Summit, MO.
(Click on any photo, then click again to enlarge/enhance it and see up close details.)

Our library is to the left just as you enter the house. It’s kind of dark and moody with lots of wood elements, just the perfect location for a guys’ informal dinner gathering.

This table for 5 starts with a 108″ round white tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com and is topped with this great piece of fleece fabric found at Hobby Lobby last year. The motif suggests the wilderness and hunting and Christmas all at once. While I didn’t have it at the time I created this tablescape, a third fabric layer of a jute tablecloth between the white and fleece would have worked out really great!

Men kind of like it to the point, so I started with a wood slab charger and topped it with a plain white Corelle dinner plate. You can buy wooden chargers from the Internet or places like Z Gallerie, but this option is less expensive and just as workable: it’s a natural wood slice from the wood crafts department at Michael’s priced at just $10 which becomes just $6 when you arm yourself with a 40% off coupon! That’s quite a bargain compared to the $91.80 for a set of 4 at Z Gallerie!!! I love Z Gallerie, but c’mon!!! I’ve also seen these at places like Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann’s.

The flatware is Hampton Silvermith’s “Patriot” and the clear glass pilsner is from Tuesday Morning‘s clearance section this past Spring. Now let’s talk about this favor/Christmas gift at each place setting! Guys may or may not take to the notion of a little gift, but if it’s something that doesn’t challenge their manhood in any way, they’ll probably be OK with it. Here I have wrapped in plain brown paper a small Swiss Army pocket knife. That’s a pretty manly gift, right? The package is simply tied with twine with a crudely hewn tamarind tree pencil as a little somethin’-somethin’ extra. (They can throw it in their toolbox and use it for marking measurements!) I bought these pencils at TJ Maxx.

I wanted to bring lots of rustic elements into the centerpiece. I started with 3 bark-wrapped vases, one filled with snow-kissed pine, one with pine cones, and one with fresh green moss that gives off that terrific woodsy scent. I added a pair of antlers, a miniature replica of a crudely crafted sled, and a few burlap-wrapped votive candles.

I have always wanted to do a rustic-looking Christmas tree but never tried until now. I didn’t want my first turn at it to prove a disaster, so I kept it very sparse. (Look out next year, though! I’m goin’ for broke!!!) This 4-ft. tree is adorned only with white lights, burlap (Hobby Lobby), hardware store twine twisted into ribbons, and a few wide-eyed owls peeping out from the branches. The packages beneath the tree have the same wrapping paper as the favors on the table, are all tied up in twine, and dressed up a little with ornaments.

On the secretary next to the tree is an aluminum tub filled with pine cones being visited by a woodland friend who just flew in from Home Goods. 🙂

The top of the old secretary has a tiny forest of trees in vases made of birch bark. A lone burlap-swathed stag (Home Goods) stands among the trees.

A side table holds the pitcher of beer for the guys atop two wood slabs. A burlap wreath created by internationally acclaimed floral designer Kelly Acock of the Monarch Flower Company is the backdrop. I added just for fun this cool Swiss Army-style camping tool that belonged to my late father-in-law, an avid outdoorsman.

Last, a comfortable leather chair to kick back in after dinner.

This tablescape would work great for the “civilized” part of a modern day bachelor party where guys mostly just want to get together to eat, have a few drinks, and good-naturedly mourn the death of bachelorhood. 😉

To see another masculine tablescape on this site:
After the Hunt – Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat

To see other winter/Christmas-related tablescapes on this site:
Christmas Fiesta
Kaleidoscope Christmas – Multi-Color Kids’ Tablescape
Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas
Christmas Through the Red Door
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
Black Friday Luncheon Tablescape
Winter Dinner
Contemporary Christmas: Fire & Ice
Celebrating the Season
Sugar High Payback
Cranberry Christmas
Cranberry Christmas Squared
Checkered Christmas – A Snowman Theme
Get Me To the Church On Time
Christmas Progressive Dinner 2011
Black, White & Red All Over Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
Warm Metal Christmas
Winter Brunch
plus NINE additional posts on a single page under the “WINTER” tab!!!

I’ll be joining Cuisine Kathleen for her weekly blog party “Let’s Dish!” on Wednesday after 6:00 p.m. CST and Susan for “Tablescape Thursday” on Thursday anytime after 9:00 a.m. CST. Join me for lots of great ideas from tablescapers all around the world!

Christmas Fiesta

December 16, 2013July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 48 Comments

INSPIRATION: The multi-color, shiny, jingly little dudes purchased at Pier 1 several years ago.

Tired of all this color yet? This is the third and final installment of my multi-color Christmas posts for this year. The first two, “Merry & Bright Multi-Color Christmas” and “Kaleidoscope Christmas – Multi-Color Kids’ Tablescape”, shared some of the same elements but in very different ways. Today’s offering does the same, returning to the basic red tablecloth and “wispy multi-color jingle bell thingies” that bring the room to life.
(Click on any photo and then click again to enlarge/enhance it and see more detail.)

The 90″ x 132″ bright red tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com anchors the table decor.

The winter months always start up my cravings for traditional Mexican food. Maybe because it’s my go-to comfort food…so spicy and tummy-warming. Maybe because we have happily indulged in the traditional tamales and arroz con leche of the Christmas season for decades.

With the multi-colored tree, the multi-colored inspiration pieces, and these fun “Serape” plates from Tuesday Morning in the cupboard, I knew I had one more opportunity to create a fun and inviting Christmas tablescape. These dishes were also used HERE and HERE.

For a twist on the traditional green of Christmas, I opted to use a Bed, Bath & Beyond lime green napkin. Black “San Remo” stainless flatware from Hampton Silversmiths lends a little formality to the setting. The ruby red stemware is from Pier 1.

The miniature sombreros at each place setting are embellished with colorful glass ornaments and a sprig of Christmas-y greenery. The colorful bamboo runner (also seen HERE for a tropical tablescape) works well with the theme and helps to pull the elements of the centerpiece together.

I wanted the centerpiece to be kind of full and dramatic and reflective of the season, but I also felt the need to bring in other elements that would work with the Mexican theme. I started with 3 red hurricane sleeves from Old Time Pottery. Snow-flecked evergreens and the “multi-color jingly thingies” were added to the mix. The arrangement was topped off with various succulents.

The buffet borrows the same citrus green vases (Home Goods) used on the table for the kids’ “Kaleidoscope Christmas” setting. Rather than filling them with the just the jingly pieces, I opted to mix it up with snow-frosted evergreens and a single succulent. Another bamboo runner pulls together all of the buffet elements including a serving trays and a bowl of ornaments. More of the frosted greenery is brought down to the buffet level, front & center.

The vintage tea cart is still decked out with the colorful flurry of ribbon from “Kaleidoscope Christmas” and Bennington the Butler still holds onto the jingle bell candy cane. Candy from last week’s post has been transferred into “Serape” bowls and cookies onto a plate.

Geoffrey, standing ready to serve by the Christmas tree, now offers a trio dish of colorful gumballs. Notice the tree is now teeming with sprigs of the jingly bling found in the centerpiece and buffet vases, a change from the last 2 weeks.

The colorful mercury glass-lined votive holders (World Market) used first on the buffet for “Merry & Bright” and then on the china cabinet with fun glass ornaments rather than candles for “Kaleidoscope Christmas” are back once again with candles and surrounded by greenery and jingly bling.

So there you have it! Elements carried from one tablescape to another with very different results each time out. Proof positive that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, even if the old dog is jingly bling! 🙂

I’m joining Cuisine Kathleen for her blog party, “Let’s Dish!”, this Wednesday after 6:00 p.m. CST and Susan for “Tablescape Thursday” after 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. This will be one of your last chances to get some ideas for holiday decorating from lots of talented and enthusiastic decorators all around the world, so join me, won’t you?

More winter and Christmas posts on this site can be found at:
Kaleidoscope Christmas – Multi-Color Kids’ Tablescape
Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas
Christmas Through the Red Door
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
Black Friday Luncheon Tablescape
Winter Dinner
Contemporary Christmas: Fire & Ice
Celebrating the Season
Sugar High Payback
Cranberry Christmas
Cranberry Christmas Squared
Checkered Christmas – A Snowman Theme
Get Me To the Church On Time
Christmas Progressive Dinner 2011
Black, White & Red All Over Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
Warm Metal Christmas
Winter Brunch
After the Hunt – Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat
plus NINE additional posts on a single page under the “WINTER” tab!!!

Kaleidoscope Christmas – Multi-Color Kids’ Tablescape

December 11, 2013July 28, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 44 Comments

INSPIRATION: Christmas kaleidoscope party favors purchased at Pier 1 several years ago.

Last week I posted “Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas“, a tablescape for six adults, as part of a three-part series on how to create multiple settings using many of the same basic elements. Today we have the kids’ version of that table, something that would be suitable for children probably 7+.
(Click on any photo and then click again to see fine details up close!)

The same bright 90″ x 132″ red tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com covers the table from head to foot.

I always like to break up a profusion of bright color with a little white. Here I use white melamine dinner plates from Target. They are topped with small appetizer plates, also from Target, juxtaposed to show off their shape and color. The appetizer plates are great for serving child-size servings of certain foods.

The kaleidoscope party favor with its fun stripes and playful snowmen brings additional color to the setting.

White casual flatware rests atop fun Christmas tree napkins created by my friend & neighbor, Barbara. For a tutorial on how to make these, click HERE for the video version or HERE for the pictorial version, Tip #31. I first used these terrific napkins during the 2012 Christmas season for “Black Friday Luncheon”. Again…using the same element to create a totally different environment!

Sometimes kids like to pretend they’re “eating fancy” like the adults, so I picked up these great molded plastic stems from Old Time Pottery.

Barbara also created this beautiful quilted runner to complement the napkins! It’s the perfect piece to pull all the parts of the centerpiece together!

What else do Grandmas do but fill the grandkids up with sugar and send them back home? 😉 I made bubble gum balls, Pixy Stix and old-fashioned hard candies a part of the tablescape using brightly colored bowls to display them.

I bought these cool, contemporary lime green vases a couple of years ago at Home Goods. For this kids’ tablescape, they take on a fun look when filled with handfuls of the same wispy multi-color jingle bell thingies used in a more formal setting last week. This time I added a multi-colored jingle bell candy cane to the vase to up its fun quotient. I first used these vases in a springtime tablescape that can be seen HERE.

Santa hats on the dining chairs lend a more kid-friendly look to the dining room. I first used these fun chair cover hats from Dollar Tree during the 2011 Christmas season in “Sugar High Payback”, another kid-friendly tablescape. Just $1 each for these covers that really change the room up! If you don’t know Dollar Tree, you don’t know bargain shopping!!! 🙂

I always like to extend the look of the table to the buffet behind it, so three smaller lime green vases are filled with the jingly thingies. (Honestly…I just don’t know what other name to assign them!) I used three to add balance to the room. For instance, if I use 1 vase on the table, I tend to use two or three on the buffet. Here I used 2 vases on the table, so the buffet gets three. It’s part of that “Rule of Three” when you work in odd numbers. It really does make a difference to the mind’s eye!

The vintage tea cart in the room becomes a bit more kid-friendly with the addition of goodies that no kid can possibly resist!

Bennington the Butler (one of my favorite Bombay Company purchases of all time!) loves to get into the spirit. Here he holds a jingle bell candy cane like the ones on the dining table vases. This helps to extend the theme to the outer parts of the room. Bennington’s Santa hat mimics those on the chairs.

This idea came to me as I sorted through the scads of ribbon rolls in my ribbon room. It’s a very simple idea and can be done with fancy satin ribbons like this or with less expensive but equally fun lengths of curling ribbon. If you opt for the curling ribbon, be sure to curl some and leave some straight for a more 3-D look. Decorating with ribbon is a fast, inexpensive way to bring color, texture and movement to a room!

Not to be outdone by his counterpart, Bennington, our faithful butler Geoffrey dons a fun Santa hat and offers treats to young guests as they arrive.

I didn’t post a photo of last week’s skinny Christmas tree in the corner of the dining room, but notice that the gold wire trees seen in last week’s post have now transferred from the buffet to the base of this tree with candles added for more shimmer at night. The addition of the tiny Nativity scene keeps it all within the reason for the season.

I added to the tree these beautiful Hallmark ornaments from over the years that are a treasured part of our collection.

These fun Pier 1 ornaments from several years ago rest beautifully in the same mercury glass-lined votive holders used on the buffet last week. Notice how they take on a much more playful look as assembled here.

In a few days I’ll post the 3rd and final tablescape from this series. I think you’ll like the new look it takes on! Meanwhile, please be sure to join Susan for “Tablescape Thursday” and Cuisine Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!” where there’s a fun “magazine copycat” challenge going on this week!

More winter and Christmas posts on this site can be found at:
Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas
Christmas Through the Red Door
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
Black Friday Luncheon Tablescape
Winter Dinner
Contemporary Christmas: Fire & Ice
Celebrating the Season
Sugar High Payback
Cranberry Christmas
Cranberry Christmas Squared
Checkered Christmas – A Snowman Theme
Get Me To the Church On Time
Christmas Progressive Dinner 2011
Black, White & Red All Over Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
Warm Metal Christmas
Winter Brunch
After the Hunt – Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat
plus NINE additional posts on a single page under the “WINTER” tab!!!

Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas

December 4, 2013December 4, 2013 / Alycia Nichols / 42 Comments

Over the next few days I will present 3 creations that use many of the same elements but have a different feel and target audience. We often worry about buying “too much stuff” (although that concept is TOTALLY foreign to the likes of me! 😉 ) and where to store it all. These next 3 posts will demonstrate how you can easily milk multiple tablescapes out of a few key pieces. This is, after all, a teaching blog…and I hope you’re able to glean some good ideas from this ongoing demonstration.
(Click on any photo once& then again to see details up close.)

INSPIRATION: A big bunch of multi-colored shiny metal doo-hickeys purchased at Pier 1 six or seven years ago.

The use of multiple bright colors was a huge thing “back in the day.” The look kind of fell out of vogue 20+ years or so ago when white on white became the new craze. As usual, I’m bucking the system in favor of nostalgia with this tablescape that incorporates every color in the rainbow/Pantone color wheel! 🙂

The foundation of this table that was used as a teaching tool in my most recent “Art of Tablescaping” class is a bright red 90″ x 132″ tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com. Nothing says Christmas like the color red, and I love this as an anchor color for the overall look.

Oh, how I love to use gold at Christmastime! The use of a gold acrylic charger (Old Time Pottery), gold-tone flatware, and beautiful American Atelier “Florentine Gold Scroll” china knocks a little wind out of brightly-colored whimsy’s sails. It dresses the table up a bit, gives it a little refinement while still letting the use of color take center stage. The napkin treatment is simply a 20″ x 20″ purple napkin from LinenTablecloth.com dressed with a contrasting red satin ribbon. See how the color invades the gold’s space but they still play nicely together?

Someone once asked me, “Why all the stemware on the table?” Well, I’ll give you the two-fold short answer on that one: I like to serve water (palate cleanser), some sort of tea or lemonade, and often a nice wine or champagne (because cocktail hour is never quite long enough) AND they just look so darn good!!! 🙂 The more sparkle, the better as captured here with deep gemstone colors juxtaposed against milky white with shiny gold detailing. The colored stems are from Pier 1 (9-10 years ago) and my Mom gave me the gorgeous white goblets that she had since the 1970s.

I bought these neat gold metal Christmas tree place card holders a number of years ago at a wholesale clearance sale. See how the multi-colored sparklies look like lights? I knew one day these would fit right in with a table’s decor!

I have about 40 of these sparkly, jingly, wobbly metal sprigs of pure joy. For an upscale look, I simply bunched them together in the pitcher that matches the goblets. This is a good example of how using things en masse can add style. (Think how baby’s breath looks all limp and sad when there are only a couple of stems, but how it comes alive when used in a burst of snowy, showy goodness! Click HERE, HERE, or HERE to see examples on this site of what I mean.) To bring the same show of color down closer to the table surface, I filled bowls with multi-colored Christmas balls. Simple, inexpensive.

To bring a little more shimmer to the table, gold mercury glass votive holders from The Village Gardens in Blue Springs, MO.

I always like to dress the buffet in decor that works with the table. I cannot for the life of me remember where I bought these contemporary gold metal trees, but I love ’em! Again, see how the sparkly adornments resemble lights on the tree. I chose these not only because of the color, but also because of the modern form. They are the perfect counterpart to the inspiration pieces!!! The American Atelier “Florentine Scroll” coffee service is set up on a lacquered gold tray from Pier 1.

The votive holders on the buffet boast beautiful, rich colors with a mercury glass lining and are from World Market 2 years ago. These photos don’t do adequate justice. The light reflected from these is spectacular!

I’ll be back in a few days with the 2nd in this series!

If you’d like to see additional Christmas tablescape ideas on this site:
Christmas Through the Red Door
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
Black Friday Luncheon Tablescape
Winter Dinner
Contemporary Christmas: Fire & Ice
Celebrating the Season
Sugar High Payback
Cranberry Christmas
Cranberry Christmas Squared
Checkered Christmas – A Snowman Theme
Get Me To the Church On Time
Christmas Progressive Dinner 2011
Black, White & Red All Over Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
Warm Metal Christmas
Winter Brunch
After the Hunt – Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat
plus NINE additional posts on a single page under the “WINTER” tab!!!

Don’t forget to visit Cuisine Kathleen’s weekly blog party “Let’s Dish!” and Susan’s “Tablescape Thursday” to get ideas from lots of other very talented bloggers from all around the globe!

Christmas Through the Red Door

November 21, 2013November 22, 2013 / Alycia Nichols / 67 Comments

Welcome back! I’m so glad to be back to doing what I love, now with substantially less pain than ever! In the coming weeks, I am excited to be able to post 6 different Christmas tables that will feature ideas for kids, adults, and even one very “guy-specific.” Today’s table, my first post since bouncing out of here in July for shoulder surgery (which was a grand success…thanks for all your wonderful well wishes!), takes you through our newly-painted front door all ready for the holidays. I have always wanted a white Colonial-style house with classic black shutters and an iconic, welcoming, shiny apple-red door (think Elizabeth Arden or Talbot’s!), and just in time for the holidays I invite you to come on in!
(To see photo detailing close up, click & then click again.)

Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One: Christmas Through the Red Door - adorned gift box

INSPIRATION: Red & gold decorated metal Christmas box from Pier 1

This table in our library was created for a one-night only tablescaping class I conducted in October through MCC-Longview. (Setting up for that class completely wiped me out since I wasn’t quite healed. It took a month to get my wind back!)

This 48″ round table for 4 could be easily recreated with a larger table – round, oblong or square – to accommodate more guests.

I wanted the place settings for this table to represent the ultimate in elegance for the holiday. Gold-leafed glass chargers are the foundation for the red & gold Royal Scotland china. The white centers of the china helps to break up the concentration of color on the table.

What nicer way to present a favor or holiday gift to guests than to personalize it and have it at their place setting? These particular boxes represent the level of flourish to consider to make the outside of each gift as special as what’s inside. Notice how the red diamond shape of the “wrapping paper” mimics the pattern in the tablecloth and cut crystal. (These permanent demonstration boxes were purchased around 2009 from Pier 1.)

I added an extra dimension to the top of the boxes in the form of this pretty clip-on gold beaded bird. Something similar to this makes the presentation a bit more special, ties into the centerpiece, and doubles as a nice take-home favor for guests.

Gold-colored flatware borrowed from my Mom is complemented with a gorgeous crystal-handled steak knife from Fifth Avenue Crystal.

Cristal d’Arques “Longchamps” stemware adds lots of reflective quality to the table and complements the design of the tablecloth.

The scarlet red organza napkins (Pier 1) strike a brilliant pose against the muted gold pintuck tablecloth from Your Chair Covers.com. I like to use linens with a little extra something-something going on during the holidays! (If you prefer a layered look, a solid satin or solid poly full-length tablecloth can be topped with a pintuck overlay or runner. It’s a really cost-effective way of glitzing up a table! You can find a great selection of pintuck runners and overlays as well as basic linens and chair covers at great low prices at my favorite “go-to” place, LinenTablecloth.com! Order now for quick, carefree delivery in time for all your holiday decorating!!!)

If you’ve ever visited this blog in the past, you know I heartily subscribe to the “go-big-or-go-home” theory when it comes to decorating. We tested this crystal epergne out for visibility across the table before I decided on it. The cut of the crystal mimics the design of the tablecloth and the cut of the stemware. A melange of shiny, muted and glittered red balls bring color to the top of the table. A single gold bird perched on the side carries the theme up from the place settings. The crystal, of course, just makes a huge statement during the holidays!

I am so, so happy to be back at the computer to share with you! For more Christmas & holiday tables on this site:
Cranberry Christmas
Cranberry Christmas Squared
Checkered Christmas
Get Me to the Church On Time
Black, White & Red All Over Christmas
Warm Metal Christmas
Winter Brunch
Christmas Progressive Dinner 2011
After the Hunt – Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat
Black Friday Luncheon
Sugar High Payback
Winter Dinner
Winter Cardinal
Fire & Ice – Contemporary Christmas
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
or check out our “WINTER” page for NINE more all on one page!!!

I’m so pleased to re-join Cuisine Kathleen for her weekly party “Let’s Dish!” and Susan for Tablescape Thursday this week! Please hop on over to these ladies’ blogs to check out the many talents of tablescapers from around the world!

Oops!

August 24, 2013August 24, 2013 / Alycia Nichols / 33 Comments

Hello, everyone! I hope your Summer is going well
and that you are looking forward to Autumn as much as I am.

I need to issue an apology. My sweet, loving, well-meaning husband accidentally published a post this morning that was not going to be published until Spring 2014. I had it almost finished and just about ready to publish earlier this year when my Daddy became ill and then passed. By the time all of the trauma and drama of his death subsided, we were well into Summer, I was prepping for my surgery, and it was too late to publish a Spring post. My darling husband just made it seem extra weird, though, by somehow hitting the “publish” key for this Spring post as we embark upon the Autumn months! God love him, he’s a great guy with so many wonderful attributes…but he is officially in the dog house! I’m going to make him write on the chalkboard 1,000 times: I will not play with Alycia’s blog. 🙂 (He was just supposed to be checking my stats!)

I hope to be able to get back to the computer on a full-time basis in a couple of weeks or so when the shoulder brace is removed. I still will not have use of my right arm at that time (that will be several weeks out, still), but I should be able to use my fingers without the apparatus getting in the way.

Thank you so much again for all the cards, prayers, well wishes and gifts!
I hope to visit with you soon!

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

July 23, 2013May 29, 2022 / Alycia Nichols / 64 Comments

Just as suddenly as I reappeared last week, I will disappear again after this week as I prepare to go under the knife on Friday. I am both terrified and relieved to have it finally happening. My shoulders have been the source of much pain and anguish for a long time now, and I’m ready to get the first one fixed. My understanding is that using my right arm will be all but impossible for at least 2 months, so I’ll be on the computer only when in the mood to hunt & peck with my left hand. I hope that you will once again forgive my spotty appearances as I go about the business of physical therapy on my way to recovery. I have several tablescapes that I created back in early Spring (including this one) in anticipation of this down time, and I will hopefully be able to post those before summer’s fast-approaching end.

INSPIRATION: The chic and quirky Holly Golightly enjoying a breakfast pastry and a cup of coffee outside the window of Tiffany’s – New York. Source: Amazon.com

Yes, I know the Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme has been done and done and done again. I’m gonna take a pass at it, too, just for kicks. OK? I think it would make a really fun theme for a bridal shower, bridal luncheon, special ladies brunch, birthday brunch (especially a milestone birthday!), or even a mid-morning engagement party!
(Click on any photo, then click again to enlarge it and see details up close!)

The table is draped in a sleek black 90″ x 132″ tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com for the sophisticated look of the proverbial little black dress.

This rectangular dining table is set for 6, but would look just as great set on a longer rectangular table for multiple guests or even a round table.

I kept each place setting sleek and simple. The white chargers are rimmed in rhinestones. (I wonder if they come with real diamonds at Tiffany’s? 😉 ) The china is very simply adorned Noritake “Spectrum”.

The custom-created menus are white paper on black and Tiffany blue card stock embellished with a small gemstone. I included an image of a tiara to mimic the one worn by Holly Golightly in this famous poster. Also notice the print on the menu. I chose two print fonts that closely match those on the poster!

Mikasa “Jamestown Platinum” stemware and International Silver “Royal Danish” flatware work well with the place setting. (Get it? Royal Danish flatware? As in Holly Golightly eating a Danish pastry for her breakfast at Tiffany’s??? 🙂 ) A sleek black napkin is folded twice lengthwise and tucked around the charger beneath the dinner plate.

What else to serve but breakfast pastries? That was Holly’s breakfast of choice!

A blinged out breakfast or brunch calls for a very creative, upscale, but still lighthearted centerpiece.

The centerpiece is created using two identical black rectangular mirrors with tiers of rhinestones from Hobby Lobby. (Also used HERE in the post “Happy Birthday, Barf!”) Just as a jewelry store like Tiffany’s might, I used these black hand display pieces (Michael’s) holding jewelry from my own collection including a Tiffany bracelet and necklace. (TIP: If you’re a bride who is gifting her bridesmaids with a little something-something from Tiffany’s to wear in the wedding, this would be a fun way to display it during brunch and then let them know they can pick theirs off the display afterwards!)

While promotional posters showed a red rose on Holly’s table, I decided to go with clusters of petite white roses in sleek mirrored vases. The arrangements are festooned with big, clunky bursts of bling.

Here you can better see the tiered mirror’s edge. Simple votive candles demurely reflect on each mirror.

What’s a bridesmaid’s brunch without goodie bags??? 🙂

These Breakfast At Tiffany’s nylon bags were found at Michael’s in the fun stuff aisle! Each bag is adorned with lots of “pearls” spilling out along the side.

The buffet behind the dining table holds the goodie bags and displays fun things that Holly might wear including Tiffany’s jewelry, a fabulous tiara, black shades, pearls, and those famous opera gloves.

A little something extra to brighten up the space and make it very girly is a bust form in a little black dress and flirty black feather boa. (Thanks to my friend, Barbara, for the boa and the rhinestone-flecked gloves shown here!)

I created a fun centerpiece using a bust form for a Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon a couple of years ago. This is the same basic concept, but a little more playful. The floral head here has chunky bling shooting out of it and boasts another tiara. I created a replica of Holly’s famous pearl necklace using faux pearl strands from Hobby Lobby. I simply quadrupled them and tied them with a gossamer ribbon at the nape of the neck. I then added a huge brooch to the front of the necklace. Not exactly like Holly’s, but a fun play on it!

The promotional poster used as my inspiration piece shows Holly gazing wistfully into the Tiffany’s display window. Hanging in the window are beautiful bling-laden candlelight chandeliers. The play on that here is this 5-lite silver candelabra with bling bobeches.

Coffee and an assortment of breakfast pastries are served from the vintage tea cart in a corner of the room.

What girl doesn’t suck all the air out of the room when she sees this famous blue box? 😉

As a parting gift, I leave you with my original idea for the bust form. It’s silly, really, but I created it in a weak moment and thought you might get a good laugh out of it.

It was going to represent the “beehive hairdo” Holly wore. Get it? Bee hive? Lame, I know. I just covered a beehive in wired pearls and bling. Don’t hate! 🙂

OK…so that’s it. I’m outta here! See you after the snip-snip!

For more “blinged out” tablescapes on this site:
“Platinum & Pink Valentine”
“Should Have Put a Ring On It”
“Princess Pink Birthday”
“Fairy Tale Wedding Shower – Princess & the Frog”
“Love’s Arrow”
“Peonies and Pearls”
“Fete Noir et Gris”
“Rhapsody in Blue”

I will be joining Cuisine Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!” starting Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., CDT. I’ll also join Susan for “Tablescape Thursday” starting Thursday at 9:00 a.m., CDT. Come along if you’d like to get inspired by some really talented tablescapers!!! You can also find me over at BeBetsy.com!

Patisserie de Paris

July 17, 2013July 24, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 67 Comments

After another short absence, I am back for a couple of weeks before my shoulder surgery next Friday, the 26th. Again, thanks to all of you who have been so patient with my on-again-off-again posting as I’ve tried to deal with soul-crushing pain in the wake of Daddy’s death. It has not been easy in any way. Add to that the physical pain with my shoulders and back…not a fun summer!

All that being said…I’d like to dedicate this post to two very special fellow bloggers. First up, Jennie Schumann of Got My Reservations went to Paris earlier this year and was so sweet and thoughtful as to gift me with this week’s colorful inspiration. Merci, Jennie!

Patisserie de Paris placemat - Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One

INSPIRATION: Many thanks to Jennie Schumann for these easy-clean beauties!!!

I also want to dedicate this post to Linda at A La Carte who will be jetting off to gay Paris in September. She’s so excited about it, and I’m truly excited for her!!! What lucky girls! I can only live vicariously through them since I am so afraid to fly!
(Click on any photo, then click again to enlarge it for close-up details.)

Our deck is the site of this lovely French patisserie or bakery. It’s all set up for a lovely ladies luncheon, bridal luncheon, bridal shower, lady’s birthday, the girls’ way of celebrating Bastille Day (that’s a stretch!) or any occasion where femininity and fun are key elements.

Let’s start with the petite dining table set for four.

The placemats are far too pretty to completely cover, so clear glass dishes are on tap today to let the design shine through.

This oblong placemat has a beautiful pink damask background with soft green borders. The image of the Eiffel Tower is set against what appears to be a lacy doily. Images of luscious French macarons seem to bounce right off the placemat. The flatware is International Silver “Royal Danish”. (FUN FACT: the word “macaron” is not an alternate spelling of macaroon. The two terms refer to two distinctly different things. Both macarons and macaroons are confections, and both names are derived from “ammaccare”, which is Italian for “to crush” — but that’s where the similarities end. The macarons as pictured are a meringue-based cookie made with almond flour, egg whites, and granulated and powdered sugar, then filled with buttercream or fruit spread. A macaroon, on the other hand, is more often than not that little quarter-sized dollop of egg whites & sugar rolled in dried coconut and toasted to sweet perfection. In France, this is called a “congolais” and is served during Passover because it contains no flour. Sufficiently confused yet? 🙂 )

You may notice lots of layering going on throughout the space, starting with these 4-ply menus. (Click on the photo, then click again to enlarge and note how the menus honor Jennie and Linda!) A bright celadon green is topped with 2 different shades of pink damask cardstock from Hobby Lobby to complement the design of the placemat. It is held together with a metal fleur de lis brad, also from Hobby Lobby. The stemware used for this tablescape is from Old Time Pottery, and the napkin is from Bed Bath & Beyond.

The dramatic “Eiffel Tower” centerpiece is one that, while very tall, can still be seen through across the table. I have used this piece in different ways for two other posts, “Springtime in Paris Buffet” and “French Poodle”. Here is is lightly embellished with dainty pink silk flowers and a few butterflies. The center holds a glass cake pedestal piled high with pastries.

The layered look continues with the table linens. A 108″ round LinenTablecloth.com tablecloth in “Tea Green” is topped with a soft pink 90″ tablecloth. Layered linens always give a richer, more sumptuous look to a table and allow multiple theme colors to extend below the table’s surface.

Simple white resin patio chairs add to the “outdoor cafe” look.

It’s no jam-packed Parisian patisserie window, but I thought this vintage baker’s rack would be a neat way to display pastries and a few French-inspired knick-knacks as well as to bring the feel of an authentic patisserie to the deck. Notice the replica penny-farthing (bicycle) there on the floor as well as the fleur de lis symbols on the shelves. (TIDBIT: Frenchman Eugene Meyer is credited as the father of the penny-farthing or “high bicycle” by the International Cycling History Conference.)

Crosses show up a lot in French design and architecture, so I used this large wrought iron cross on top of the baker’s rack. The cross is flanked by two celadon green hat boxes with French flair.

Just like in a French patisserie, there is a huge variety of sweet pastries from which to choose. I stuck with pastries in the same/complementary color palette as the table.

Who knew a MoonPie looked so much like an authentic macaron? Hmmm….the MoonPie was created at the start of the Great Depression, so maybe it IS the poor man’s macaron? 🙂 And maybe it’s why they have been a traditional “throw” during the Mardi Gras (very French!) parades in many Southern states since the 1950s? (Where are my ‘Bama girls to back me up on this? Ellen? Sandra?) Something to ponder….! 🙂

More pastries on the dessert buffet, including beautiful pirouette cookies and pretty little cakes that make me want to slap on a crown and shriek, “Off with their heads!“, are displayed in and on glass and silver.

I bought several of these beautiful silver cake servers yeas ago. They come in quite handy for dessert buffets! The dark wrought iron fleur de lis seen here, as well as the white one in previous photos, both came from the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby for just $1 apiece.

The buffet table carries on the theme of pink, green and white as well as layering. This 90″ x 132″ white tablecloth is topped with pink and tea green satin runners, all from LinenTablecloth.com. It looked nice with the plain white tablecloth, but adding bits of color (for such a teensy, tiny price!) just kicked it up a notch! I used 3 runners to represent the 3 vertical bands of the French flag.

The coffee service set up on one end of the buffet table features a silver 25-cup coffee urn, a vintage creamer and sugar set, soft pink napkins, and a billowy floral design in a French-inspired white vase. The pastoral scene on the side of the cups is decidedly French, too.

Loaves of bread stand tall in a silver champagne bucket while croissants and other breads are displayed in a silver wire basket with Victorian-era tongs alongside assorted cheeses. The Austrian crystal cheese picks and forks add just the right amount of bling.

Finally, this fancy glass decanter with the word “Paris” on it is filled with corks instead of a beverage for a nice decorative touch.

Many, many, many thanks to Jennie for this wonderful bit of inspiration!

More posts using pink & green on this site:
“Showered in Pink”
“Blushing Bridal Shower”
“Fairy Tale Wedding Shower – Princess & the Frog”
“Mother’s Day Luncheon in Pink”
“Pinky Peter Cottontail”
“Pleasant Under Glass”
“Springtime in Paris”
“Easter Brunch”

I’m joining a couple of blog parties this week:
“Let’s Dish!” with Cuisine Kathleen
“Tablescape Thursday” with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch

I’ll be back next week with one more post before surgery. It’s gonna be a doozy, and you won’t want to miss it!
Until next week, au revoir!

Butterfly Kaleidoscope

May 29, 2013June 18, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 50 Comments

This week I’d like to share a casual summer tablescape with you that, with just a bit of tweaking, could work well both indoors or out.

Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One - Butterfly Kaleidoscope: Inspiration piece

INSPIRATION: Melamine dinner plate from Target’s 2010 collection in turquoise, citrus green, brown and white. See how it looks like a butterfly…and a kaleidoscope?

I couldn’t decided whether this reminded me more of a butterfly or an image you might see when looking into one of those old-fashioned kaleidoscopes. I also couldn’t decide whether I wanted to show this inside in the dining room or outside on the deck. So I’m going to show you both in a sort of side-by-side comparison! This might be helpful information as you come up with a Plan A for good weather and a “hope we don’t need it, but just in case we do” Plan B to bring it all inside in case of inclement weather conditions.
(Click on any photo to enhance/enlarge it to see details up close.)

Both inside and out, I started with a full-length brown linen. Yes…ye olde brown linen is back in play! Seriously…brown is a great summer neutral. It all depends on how you pair it up!

Top photo – indoors, bottom photo – outdoors. Just look at all that color!!!

The elements on the table are a balanced mix of all the colors found in the dinner plate. The charger is a white ceramic from Old Time Pottery. TIP: White chargers may be a little tough to come by, so you might consider buying inexpensive acrylic ones and spray painting them. Great look, great value!

Both inside and out, a double dose of napkins cascade off the side of the table at each place setting. It’s nice to have two napkins for guests if you’re eating something extra messy like fried chicken or barbecue. One for the lap, one for mouth & fingers. They’ll love you for it! The flatware is a faux bamboo from Home Goods. Notice on the outdoor setting how a butterfly has innocently landed on each salad fork.

I LOVE this super chunky turquoise stemware from Pier 1!!! It feels really substantial and holds a lot of whatever beverage is being served.

The centerpiece indoors is a mix of turned white wood candlesticks from Z Gallerie topped with fun turquoise, green and white striped candles from Pier 1, a trio of florals, and pots of rye grass standing as sentry at each end. The outdoor table loses the rye grass and adds votives to the mix.

I get a lot of mileage out of these Z Gallerie candlesticks. Each end of the centerpiece holds a pair in two sizes. Notice the bling on the candle wick. If your dinner party starts early in the evening when the sun is still out, keep the bling on as an added point of interest. When it’s time to light the candles, just snip the wick to about 1/2 inch, pocket the bling, and put it aside for use on something else later.

The fun floral element comes in a trio of white ceramic canisters filled with acid green roses and rye grass. Fun little turquoise hand-painted butterflies from Beau-coup.com flit about, landing here and there at will.

The outdoor table has an added twist of intermittent votives in deep turquoise blue glass holders.

The buffet behind the dining table indoors is smothered with turquoise and citrus green paper lanterns. It’s a simple but effective backdrop to the busy design on the table.

The outdoor buffet table is covered from head to toe in a smart fitted white tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com. The pots of rye grass used on the dining table and around the room indoors have moved to the buffet table to add color there.

The sides of the buffet table are festooned with paper lantern “towers” tied to the deck posts. Just loop ribbon through the lanterns to create this fun and colorful look!

More paper lantern singles are tied to individual posts around the deck to surround guests in color and movement. If you add lights to the lanterns, just think how pretty that would be at night!!!

Back inside, a vintage tea cart holds pitchers of ice cold water and lemonade on the bottom and a Ralph Lauren pedestal filled with Granny Smith apples on top.

Finally indoors the china cabinet has a complementary treatment of paper lanterns, rye grass and roses. The sconces that flank the buffet are outfitted with pots of rye grass visited by butterflies.

Are ya dizzy now? Sorry ’bout that! My point is that you can use the same elements either indoors or out and achieve a great look that is appropriate to the space. Plan A or Plan B…you decide! 🙂

Other posts on this site using turquoise or blue, green & white:
“Under a Paper Moon”
“Summer Blues & Greens”

Another post on this site using paper lanterns:
“Blue & White 30th Birthday”
“Cupcake Colors”
“Under a Paper Moon”
“Easter Brunch”

I’m joining lots of other talented tablescapers again this week at Cuisine Kathleen’s blog party, “Let’s Dish!” (anytime after 6:00 p.m. CDT Wednesday) and Susan’s party, “Tablescape Thursday” (anytime after 9:00 a.m. CDT Thursday).

Lauren in the Library

May 20, 2013June 22, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 71 Comments

If Memorial Day weekend tends to be more about quiet reflection than barbecues and poolside play for you, this red, white & blue tablescape may be right up your alley. My inspiration this week comes not so much from something you can see, but the feeling in the pit of my stomach when I turned on the television this past week to see that we had lost yet another soldier from the Greater Kansas City area. Sgt. 1st Class Trenton L. Rhea, 33, was a member of the 200th Military Police Company in Belton, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City where I lived years ago. He drowned as he attempted to cross a body of water during combat operations in Kandahar, Afghanistan. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Sgt. Rhea and to all of those left behind to mourn the loss and cherish the memory of loved ones killed while in service to our country.
(Click on any photo to enhance/enlarge it to see details up close.)

This formal patriotic table for five began with a full-length white tablecloth topped with a navy blue square one from LinenTablecloth.com. Doubling (or even tripling!) the table linens renders a more lush look and plays up a multi-color theme.

Each place setting begins with a gold-leafed glass charger. A pristine white dinner plate with a prim gold rim comes next, and then finally a Ralph Lauren “Knockhill” navy blue-rimmed salad plate. While Knockhill is actually the name of a Scottish race car circuit, the red, white and blue coloring of the plate and the very regal crest seemed to work for this patriotic setting.

The simple addition of red and navy blue ribbon adds instant patriotic flair to the white napkins. Notice how the ends of the ribbon are dovetailed to mimic those of the Ralph Lauren banner on the salad plate. Gold flatware complements the charger and dinner plate rim.

Crystal stemware rimmed in gold.

What flower conveys messages of both love and tradition as clearly as red roses? Here, four smaller red rose balls surround a larger centered one, all in white ceramic urns. Stately gold candlesticks with formal white candles stand tall on each side of the centerpiece. (Faux flowers were used for demonstrative purposes here, but I encourage you to use fresh for “real” formal tablescapes.)

The centerpiece is finished off with two pairs of gold mercury glass votive holders for ambient light.

This tablescape would work well for any U.S. patriotic holiday (Memorial Day, Independence Day, Flag Day, Armed Forces Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day), but might perhaps also be appropriate for political dinner events.

Other patriotic tablescapes on this site:
“American Royal Tablescape”
“4th of July Coastal Style”
“Stars and Stripes”
“All-American Seafood Boil”
“Red, White & Blueberries”
“Missouri Show Me State Dinner”

Other posts with red rose balls on this site:
“Derby Day Dining”
“Kentucky Derby Buffet”
“Should Have Put a Ring On It”

I am pleased and proud to join Cuisine Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!” this week. She’s hosting a patriotic tablescape challenge, so you can see what lots of talented bloggers from around the globe are doing in celebration of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. I’ll also be joining Susan for “Tablescape Thursday”. And in support of our military and their families, please join me for The Coconut Head Survival Guide’s “Memorial Day Patriot’s Palooza Party”!!!

May God bless the American soldier and his/her family, all of whom sacrifice so much.