Sun & Sky

July 26, 2017July 31, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 1 Comment

The blazing, unforgiving heat of August in Kansas City just wilts me! Aside from blasting the A/C and sipping cool drinks, the best thing I can do to lift my spirits (next to shopping, of course!) is to surround myself with lots of bright color. I hosted a luncheon with a brightly colored tablescape and did just that!

I am a huge fan of classic cobalt blue which reminds me of the sea and sky, especially when paired with sunny yellow. A dose of white makes the brilliant colors in this tablescape really pop. This casual luncheon tablescape contains elements from Pier 1 Imports (“Mirandela” chargers, stemware, yellow crockery), Tuesday Morning (napkins, napkin rings, placemats), Macy’s (flatware), and one of my favorite haunts, Z Gallerie (centerpiece finials). Fun, wispy yellow spider & acid green button mums from Costco rounded out the look. (Click HERE to see the dishes in the same design as these chargers in another tablescape.)

A cup of rich, creamy broccoli cheese soup makes the perfect appetizer, followed by a (relatively) healthy chicken Caesar salad with freshly shaved parmesan for the main course.

The 3″ square yellow crockery was used to bake individual apple-walnut cakes that topped with cinnamon ice cream. These were the perfect luncheon size, and the presentation in the tiny crock made them a little more fun!

With my tummy full and my mind swimming with the feeling brought on by all the bright color…I think I’m back on track! Crisis averted!

Blue & White Family Picnic

July 26, 2017October 5, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 9 Comments

What better to do on a warm August evening than gather with friends and family for an old-fashioned, fun picnic…with an elegant twist?

Grandpa Ramon entertains the little ones while Grandma Alycia rushes to finalize details.

When the weather is warm, cool colors for the outdoor tablescape are definitely in order! A classic blue & white checkered tablecloth anchors the setting and renders a true “picnic” feel.

After a few family photos are taken…

…the food is set out, the champagne expertly poured, and it’s time for everyone to sit down, relax, and enjoy!

Reflective silver chargers, icy clear dishes & stemware (Bed Bath & Beyond), and faux mother of pearl flatware (Target) were perfect for the occasion. White pillar candles, which bring one of three levels of candlelight, are protected from the breeze with standard clear glass hurricanes.

Silver candelabra brimming with luscious grapes are outfitted with white candles to be lit after the sun leaves the sky. (Table linen and chairs from All Seasons Tent & Party Rental.)

Silver julep cups are filled with pure white and citrus green carnations along with hosta leaves from the garden. (They were later transferred to faux silver juleps for the guests to take home.) Notice the votive candles in addition to the pillars under the hurricane shades and candelabra. I like the look offered by multiple levels and sources of candlelight that make any tablescape dance!

Sweet bing cherries and plump, ripe blueberries are set out in beautiful white ceramic vessels from Hobby Lobby for guests to munch on before and after dinner. I love this white jardiniere…wish I had more!

The dessert table is dressed up with a larger version of the carnation & hosta arrangements on the dining table.

I like to think of new ways to present old favorites. On this day fresh strawberry lemonade was served from a clear glass apothecary jar (available at Target or Function Junction). A custom engraved silver tag strung with ribbon identifies the contents. (I had several of these tags made up for various beverage and candy displays.)

Guests all dressed in blue & white raise a glass! To family!!!

Summer Blues… and Greens!

July 26, 2017October 5, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 3 Comments

SUMMER BLUES…AND GREENS!
(a re-post from August 2010)

There is really nothing quite like the cooling, soothing look of cobalt blue in a summer tablescape! Mixed here with grassy greens and cloud-like white, it takes on a casually sophisticated look that is one with nature.

For each place setting, I started with a crisp, white cotton linen. The beautiful blue & white placemats are a vinyl reversible from Bed, Bath & Beyond that caught my eye. The stark white square dinner plates, also from BB&B, are from the B. Smith With Style collection. The deep blue salad plates and graceful finger bowls are from Pier 1 Imports. I like these bowls because they can be used in so many ways! I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot of them in subsequent tablescapes. Simple Pfaltzgraff “Legacy” flatware and cobalt blue glass tumblers from Old Time Pottery finish the look.

I picked up this gorgeous green & blue glass compote several years ago, and I am always thrilled to get a chance to use it in a tablescape! Filled here with an abundance of juicy Granny Smith apples, succulent limes, and cymbidium orchids, it really stands out. Orchids are so pricey that I often can only afford a single stem or two. Plucking the blooms and floating them in water (or tucking the stem into a water tube as in the centerpiece) is a wonderful option with a lot of impact. The flames of white candles in the cobalt hurricanes dance when the sun goes down. The potted grass is just another way to pull in the color green and to add texture and interest to the overall centerpiece.

Another way to punctuate the tablescape’s look with a bit more green was to place individual bottles of refreshing Perrier at each guest’s setting.

Want to see a couple of other tablescapes using blue and green?:
Under A Paper Moon
Butterfly Kaleidoscope

Mother’s Day Brunch

July 26, 2017July 8, 2021 / Alycia Nichols / 10 Comments

This colorful brunch tablescape in Springtime shades of blue, white, and cheery lemon yellow punctuated with bright pink paid homage to my Mother. The bouquet – my son and his girlfriend’s way of honoring me on Mother’s Day – was perfectly coordinated to the setting, especially the fresh fruit compote! (Please pardon the horrible fold lines in the table linen! This is one of my very early blog posts before I realized just how awful lines look in photos!!!)

These placemats from Bed, Bath & Beyond caught my eye because of the playful lemons adjacent to the traditional & decidedly staid damask. The lemon yellow cotton napkins are also from BB&B. The cornflower blue juice glasses and compotes are from Old Time Pottery, and the cobalt blue chargers from Pier 1. The plates are basic white Corelle.

Fresh, fragrant lemons in blue & white transferware bowls with a few lemon leaves tossed in for color elongate the tablescape’s centerpiece. Not one to be wasteful, freshly squeezed lemonade is on the next day’s menu. (Oh, for heaven’s sake…those folds in the linen are killin’ me!!! :-()

I embellished the lush mix of lilies, roses, Fuji mums, orchids, hyacinth, button mums, monkshood and carnations with a few butterflies.

Coffee cups in the colors of the day are from Old Time Pottery.

Pre-sliced bagels are presented in a long napkin-lined basket. Find the recipes for the homemade vegetable or honey cream cheese spreads HERE or by clicking the “Recipes” tab above.

Nothing like a little fruit juice to get the day started! Here, clear glass decanters hold a choice of pink grapefruit, orange or apple.

I just love to take something basic and make it special! Plain white ceramic pitchers from Home Goods are gussied up with the addition of custom silver tags that mark the frothy, cold chocolate and strawberry milk.

The hostess awaits her guests’ arrival!

Other posts suitable for a Mother’s Day celebration on this site:
“Peonies & Pearls“
“Showered in Pink“
“Pink Plaid & Posies“
“Days of Wine & Roses“
“Blushing Bridal Shower“
“Pleasant Under Glass“

Another tablescape using lemons on this site:
“Lemonade From Bill“

A few fun accessories that will help make your Spring table feel fresh, inviting, and alive!

Budding branches (you can get these from your yard or nearby wooded areas)
Fresh curly willow (adds a lot of character and dimension to arrangements or can be used alone)
Grapevine
Flowers in seasonal colors (e.g., daffodils, tulips, hyacinth)
Potted green plants
Topiaries
Moss
Freshly grown grass in pots or flats
Nests
Birdhouses and cages
Glass bell jars and wire cloches
Chicken wire
Baskets (plain, moss covered, embellished with twigs or pussy willow branches, etc.)
Pots and vases with a vintage look
Parasols
Fresh or faux veggies (e.g., lettuce, cabbages, carrots)
Easter eggs
Smooth river rock
Floral wreaths
Softly colored solid and patterned fabrics: plaid, paisley, floral
Ribbon and twine
Candlesticks, chargers, and other tabletop items made of wood, grapevine, straw, iron and other natural elements
Flatware with handles made of wood or bamboo
Figurines of woodland animals (e.g., rabbits, squirrels, birds)
Figurines of Spring- or Easter-related animals (e.g., chicks, hens, roosters, sheep, butterflies)
White or pastel spray paint for lightning and brightening everything from branches & twigs to….you name it!

Miss Missouri Teen USA 2017 Send Off Party

July 24, 2017July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols

UPDATE, July 29, 2017: SHE WON!!!!! SHE WON!!!! Sophia Dominguez-Heithoff is MISS TEEN USA 2017!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks like we’re getting along, but I’m silently plotting against him!

I will publicly admit (for the first and only time) that Andres Dominguez is one of my dearest friends. I put it that way because we (good-naturedly, of course!) razz each other like siblings…or sworn enemies.

Amy was taking NO chances here! She knows I should not be allowed the freedom to wield sharp objects…especially that close to Andres!!! No prob…I’m actually going in for a choke hold!

I get him with the bunny ears a LOT!

Truth is, though, he is one of those people who come into your life for a reason. Among those reasons: for me to watch as his family grew. I met Andres the year he married Amy. They’ve since put their hearts and souls into raising two incredibly gifted and kind children, one of whom in recent months was crowned Miss Missouri Teen USA. I have watched Sophia grow from a super cute baby into a talented, compassionate, intellectual (she graduated high school a year early and is headed off to college in August!), inspired/inspiring, confident, graceful, jaw-droppingly beautiful young woman.

She will be competing in the Miss Teen USA Pageant this coming Friday/Saturday, July 28/29 at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, AZ. We are so excited and plan to have ourselves parked front and center to watch and root for her.

I was honored when Sophia’s mom, Amy, called to ask if I’d lend a hand with setting up the send off party in Sophia’s honor this past weekend. Are you kidding me??!??! A chance to use a bunch of my silver pieces?!??!? Oh, “HELL to the y-e-s” as the kids say! I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed creating what Amy and I ultimately dubbed “The Tiffany Room” and helping to pitch in on other rooms for the party.

This is Sophia’s Mom/Andres’ wife, Amy. Amy and I work together like hand in glove and get on quite well because we both run on 2 speeds only: “Bugatti Chiron” and “speed of light”!!!

So much to do setting up the “Tiffany Room” including stacking dozens of macarons just right on miniature cake plateaus.

Sophia’s exquisite (and delicious!!!) Tiffany blue cake was created at Wally’s Pastry Shop in Kansas City, MO.

I wanted the table to resemble a Tiffany’s gift box, so I started with a Tiffany blue pintuck tablecloth from YourChairCovers.com. I glitzed it up with bling ribbon and scattered rhinestone brooches.

There were fabulous French macarons and petit fours everywhere!!! To balance the sweet with a little savory, I brought along these faceted crowns (purchased at Hobby Lobby that I first used for a “Princess Pink Birthday Dinner” back in 2011) for a peanut/butter mint mix. I have used the miniature cake plateaus in other settings, most notably “Fairy Tale Wedding Shower – Princess & the Frog” and “Springtime in Paris“, both posted back in 2012.

A few additional touches around the “Tiffany Room” included custom M&Ms and a delicate ballerina posed atop another miniature plateau placed next to one of Sophia’s many crowns. The ribbons are from her Quinceañera.

More inspired touches from Amy’s brilliant mind included these custom-made cookies from April at Sweet & Saucy Life in Platte City, MO, just north of Kansas City. This woman can create!!! Just LOOK at those crowns and ballet slippers!!!

The living room was a great place to display a couple of Sophia’s ball gowns including the spectacular red one she wore when she won the Miss Teen Missouri 2017 pageant! The room is decorated with festive Mylar balloons proclaiming her title.

There’s MUCH more to Sophia than bling and balloons as the “KU Room” showed with snippets of her many accomplishments. Look closely at those M&Ms. Yes, a 4.0 GPA!!! No wonder…pardon the pun…she’s a Wonder Woman!!!!

It was a crazy hot & humid day here in the Kansas City area, and the hosts were ready to keep their guests cool with these stylized water bottles.

Handsome photographer/hubby Ramon and me taking a much-needed break.

Posing with the ecstatic family. That handsome gent on the other end is wardrobe stylist/fashion consultant Wlaa of Wlaa Style. I hear ya, ladies. I hear ya!!! 😉

Ramon and me with sweet young friend/Miss Missouri Teen USA 2017, Sophia Dominguez-Heithoff.

Other French-inspired posts on this site:
French Poodle
Patisserie de Paris
Springtime in Paris – Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet

And if you dig the Tiffany’s vibe, check out this post from 2013:
Breakfast At Tiffany’s

Flashy Flamingos – Navy, White & Pink Tablescape

July 21, 2017July 21, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 2 Comments

As evidenced by my 2012 post, “Flamingos in Paradise“, I was a big fan of flamingos before they became all the rage this summer. Something about those big, pink birds…maybe just because they’re my favorite color!

II love my country, but I’m about plumb tuckered out on the red, white and blue for a minute. This refreshing respite of pink, white and navy blue is just what the tablescaping doctor ordered. The round table for 4 is layered with those very colors from LinenTablecloth.com.

My objective was to set off the bright pink and white against the deep blue. The Crate & Barrel charger for each setting has a bright pink ruffled edge. Plain white dinner plates are offset by navy blue square salad plates from Pier 1. The cotton napkins are from Bed Bath & Beyond, and the faux bamboo flatware is from JC Penney.

I just love these peppy pink flamingo-spattered glasses from Home Goods! They’re perfect for serving iced tea, lemonade, water, or – my personal favorite – a tropical cocktail! I paired them with clear water glasses.

The inspiration for this tablescape came from this fun navy & white striped bucket peppered with flamingos from Home Goods. (I think its original intent is to be used as a flatware caddy, but what the heck…I march to the beat of my own twisted drum sometimes!) I filled it with sago palms and tucked in a metal flamingo for a quick, easy tablescape with tropical flair.

The other side of the deck is included in the party decor with a continuance of the color scheme.

Sips and snacks are set up on a bamboo tray in the seating area. A sweet blog friend gave me these ceramic flamingo appetizer plates a few years ago, and I love them as much today as when I first got them. Thank you, Mona!

Pink lemonade is the perfect summer drink in these glasses. The plastic pitcher is from Target and the fun flamingo stir sticks from Tuesday Morning.

On the other end of the coffee table are a white ceramic vase overflowing with pink and white tulips and a stack of alternating pink & white cocktail napkins literally anchored to keep them from blowing away in the summer breeze.

The seating area’s side table is set up with a pot of summer flowers as the backdrop to a blue & white striped sailboat (to mirror the look of the centerpiece on the dining table) and guest favors in flamingo-flecked boxes.

You know how I love my paper lanterns, and for this setting I really loaded ’em up! Varying shades of pink mixed with white lanterns are embellished with navy blue ribbon streamers for additional color and movement.

Thanks so much for stopping in to check out the flashy flamingos!

Other tablescapes using paper lanterns on this site:
Cupcake Colors
Easter Brunch
Butterfly Kaleidoscope – Indoors & Outdoors
Blue & White 30th Birthday
Under A Paper Moon
Chinese Takeout

Other tablescapes with tropical settings on this site:
Hot Tropical
Caribbean Queen
Ocean Blue
Tropicana
Summer Breeze

Summer Breeze

July 21, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 4 Comments

SUMMER BREEZE

Folks, I’m revamping my blog a bit and getting rid of “pages” from my early days of blogging that featured multiple posts. I don’t want to lose the posts altogether, though, so I’m re-posting them. Makes no sense, huh? Believe me, if there was an easier way…!!! So, if you’ve never seen this one before it’s all new to you. If you have seen it, I apologize for the rerun but hope you can enjoy it all over again! There will be additional reruns coming into your box every couple of days until I’ve emptied these pages from the early days. Who knows…maybe what’s old can be new again with ideas. Let’s hope! Meanwhile, all new posts are on the way, too!!!

I have put off doing a tropical tablescape all summer long, but this last dinner party before Labor Day seemed like the right day to do it. I’m glad I did. Summer is good to the last drop! (The aftermath of this dinner party was a near tragedy. Click HERE to see what happens when you don’t take care with candles!)

The matchstick placemats drape lengthwise rather than horizontally for a bit of added interest.

I loved these “Exotic Floral” dishes the moment I saw them at Pier 1! It wasn’t so much the pattern as the color combination with that dash of bright red-orange. The red-orange finger bowl was filled with a bit of lemon water for each guest to cleanse their fingers between bites of sticky Tequila-Lime Chicken. The green embossed stemware is also from Pier 1, and I’m sure you’ll see a lot of it in future posts!

I picked these napkins up from BB&B for next to nothing on the clearance table! They have many of the same design elements as the dishes, so they were just perfect! The seashell napkin rings (surprisingly similar to some custom-created ones I saw in Preston Bailey’s “Inspirations“) are Pier 1.

I really enjoyed creating the centerpiece items for this summer tablescape! The larger ones are simple raised “fishbowls.” Although I bought these as shown wholesale some years ago, they could be easily reproduced by gluing a fishbowl atop a large glass votive cup or short-stemmed/stemless martini glass. Large pillar candles are surrounded by colorful, interesting seashells and finished off with a snippet of alstroemeria which looked very similar to the red-orange flower on the dishes. To complete the centerpiece, I twisted a piece of feathery sword fern and topped it with a shell. (For other fun tables using seashells, visit “Tropicana“, “Ocean Blue – Starfish & Seashells“, “All-American Seafood Boil“, and “Flamingos In Paradise“.)

The smaller centerpiece arrangements are these really cool reversible bowls with a little indentation for a votive candle. (This bowl could be flipped the other direction and have a tiny flower in the indentation with perhaps a floating candle in the larger part.) I tucked sword fern and alstroemeria underneath. By keeping all of the centerpiece items the same shape, it created a unifying effect.

When we sat down to dinner, the sun was just beginning to set. By the time we finished, we were able to enjoy the warm glow of the candles. (I can’t stress this enough…be careful when using candles, especially when it’s breezy out or THIS – or something far worse – could happen to you!)

On the dessert/drink table, I piled Pier 1 dessert plates high on a beautiful bamboo tray alongside the homemade 3-layer chocolate fudge cake. The faux bamboo flatware is from JC Penney. The acrylic palm tree pitcher is from BB&B.

Raising a glass with our honored guests.

Other tropics-inspired tablescapes on this site:
Hot Fun In the Summertime
Caribbean Queen

Oranges & Blossoms

July 21, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 4 Comments

ORANGES & BLOSSOMS
(a re-post from September 2010)

Some get-togethers are just a little more relaxed than others, but that doesn’t mean the tablescape has to suffer!

Bright colors can go a long, long way to bring a summer tablescape to life!

With about 24 hours notice, I was able to construct this casual but inviting tablescape. Atop a white cotton linen, the brilliant orange matchstick placemat really stands out. The next layers are a simple white Corelle dinner plate, a bright pink & orange melamine salad plate from Burlington, and a fun little orange slice plate for the appetizer. The place setting is finished off with a folded white napkin and fun white handled flatware from TJ Maxx. Nothing fancy…just pure fun!

When it comes to centerpieces in a hurry, let your imagination kick in. A couple of white cake stands (Ralph Lauren “Pavillion”) did the trick in this case, stacked high with oranges from the fridge (tomorrow morning’s orange juice!), and dotted with waxflower and brilliantly hued plumeria blossoms. Any small flowers will do that match or complement your tablescape colors. (See the cake stands used for other displays at “88 Years & 88 Keys” and “Blushing Bridal Shower“.

Tiny orange glass vases from Hobby Lobby repeat the floral theme of waxflower and plumeria from the main centerpiece with impatiens from the side yard landscape tossed in for good measure.

Simply using items from around the house, the fridge, and the yard, a jaunty little tablescape is born!

This easy, breezy tablescape was quick to assemble and, thankfully, quick to take down as we were chased in just before dessert by a rain storm!

Other tablescapes on this site using orange and pink:
Orange You Glad You Came to Dinner?
Hot Fun In the Summertime
Hot Tropical
Summer Orange Tablescape

Orange You Glad You Came To Dinner?

July 21, 2017July 21, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 4 Comments

ORANGE YOU GLAD YOU CAME TO DINNER?
(a re-post from August of 2010)

Folks, I’m revamping my blog a bit and getting rid of “pages” that featured multiple posts in an effort to make it easier to find things. I don’t want to lose the posts altogether, though, so I’m re-posting them. Makes no sense, huh? Believe me, if there was an easier way…!!! So, if you’ve never seen this one before it’s all new to you. If you have seen it, I apologize for the rerun but hope you can enjoy it all over again! There will be additional reruns coming into your box every couple of days until I’ve emptied these pages from the early days of blogging. Who knows…maybe what’s old can be new again with ideas. Let’s hope!

Sigh! As the kids reluctantly prepare to head back to class, we try to squeeze in just a few more outdoor family dinners.

I’ve been itching to use these creamsicle colored dishes all summer! Orange is “the new red” when it comes to stimulating the appetite and lifting spirits. For my tablescapes indoors and out, I am totally on board!

Rather than my usual (and beloved!) long, narrow table, I kissed two 6-ft. tables horizontally to create more of a square shape. Doing so allows for a more generous centerpiece as well as plenty of elbow room for each guest. (With the trays, this seats 8; without trays, however, this table configuration comfortably seats 10.)

Each of this tablescape’s place settings consists of a bamboo tray (looked good, and sure made clean up a lot easier!) from Old Time Pottery. The orange & white melamine dishes are from Target. The square shape lends a contemporary feel, while the floral design gives them a timeless look without being stuffy. (See these same dishes used for another summer tablescape HERE.) I fell in love with the icy orange flatware from Burlington and the flower & butterfly napkin rings from Hobby Lobby. Even the Costco stemware is plastic, but the design gives it an “authentic” look. The cool cube place card holders from Crate & Barrel finish the place setting. Off to the side, a small table holds snacks in complementary colors.

I mulled over centerpiece options for this tablescape for several days. Sure, the weatherman is predicting a drastic cool down from the upper 90s to the mid 80s, but how can I be sure? Fresh flowers will wilt as soon as I walk them out the door if he’s wrong. So…I went against everything I know and bowed to decorating with FAUX flowers!!! Somehow, though, with the cool orange color and the unrealistically large heads, it looks kind of 1960s mod instead of flat out weird. I may need to find more uses for faux flowers! Stay tuned!!!

This is my Dad, Jim. I love him very much!!!
(postscript: Daddy died in May of 2013.
I’m so glad we had this quality time together.)

Other tablescapes with lots of orange (other than autumn and Halloween):
Mandarin Bling
Summer Orange
Oranges & Blossoms
Hot Tropical

Fairy Princess Party – For Little Girls!

July 18, 2017July 28, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 11 Comments

My expertise doesn’t run particularly strong when it comes to tablescapes for children, but I still take the plunge every so often. This time around I’ve tried my hand at a little girls’ party fit for a fairy princess.

The Dollar Tree often sells really terrific stuff for entertaining. I’m always so glad to hap upon items like these fairy wings and cute Disney princess products that sparked an idea for a kids’ tablescape with very feminine features.

Every little girl should have the benefit of a special party created in her honor. To do so doesn’t require a ton of money, but little touches can make it extra special. I started the tablescape for 4 with a luxurious pink pinched pinwheel taffeta tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com. (These tablecloths are machine washable and easy care, so you can rest easy while little girls enjoy.) Bling runners are crisscrossed on the table for an extra lavish touch.

I used disposable tableware including a clear plastic plate (the better to see the princess placemat with, my dear!), a trio of lavender, white & pink paper napkins (messy hands need lots of napkins!), and plastic cutlery in pink, lavender and yellow. Pink striped princess party hats for each guest and a “gemstone” candy ring top off each place setting. Reusable Dollar Tree Disney fairy-themed cups with bright yellow straws serve as a part of the take-home favors.

Dessert is part of the off-center centerpiece! A trio of clear glass cake stands are stacked and topped with a princess dress form clad in pink, white & yellow tulle (to which I hot glued white fairy wings) that creates a fun and pretty way to display cupcakes.

Dollar Tree is the place for kid-friendly favors, too! Disney princess coloring books and crayons become a part of the centerpiece that can be easily accessed for coloring together at the party. Each guest can then take her book & crayons home to continue the fun.

I found these cute polka-dotted pink & green butterfly canvases in the clearance section at Hobby Lobby some years ago. This seemed like the perfect tablescape to finally use them.

I’m on a roll with these paper lanterns this year! A fun mix of royal purple, princess pink, diamond white, lime green, and juicy orange lanterns that complement the colors on the cups and placemats sway overhead. To amp up the deluxe factor, I added garlands of crystal bling. (Are we still using that word? It’s all I’ve got, man!)