Surf & Turf Dinner

/ Alycia Nichols / 49 Comments

Back in March I created a tablescape as part of a live auction package for the 13th Annual Taste of Lee’s Summit benefiting the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, Inc. (LSEF). I made good on that prize this past weekend at the lovely home of board member Mary Stilley and her husband, Jim, who hosted a fabulous gourmet dinner for ten. I agonized for months over what to do. In the end I decided to use starfish-shaped plates to represent the “surf” part of the meal, and a play on words and stretch of the imagination landed me at moss-covered balls to represent the “turf.” (Football on the brain already!!! 🙂
(Click on any image to enhance/enlarge it. All photos by Sheri L. Grant)

Starting with a plain white palette (upper left-hand corner and going clockwise), each layer went down in a painstakingly slow manner, measuring to make sure every element was precisely set.

When all was said and done…and after a few very tense minutes when Mary, Sheri and I found ourselves having to raise the billion pound light fixture to accommodate the height of the centerpiece…this is what we had. (Gosh, I wish I had pictures of that! ;-))

Starting with the photo in the upper left-hand corner of the collage and going clockwise, I started by layering two chargers: One a square rattan, and the other a round silverplate. By layering the two, I felt it gave the table the depth it would need once the plates were removed to the kitchen for the actual dinner. It also added both a sort of rough-hewn texture and a glossy shine, two elements I thought represented the surf and turf theme. The square white dinner plate was a good foundation for the colorful mix of blue and white starfish salad and appetizer plates you see here. These plates were in place upon the guests’ arrival, but then whisked to the kitchen just before the start of the meal.

The flatware is from the hostess’s personal collection. I liked the clam shell pattern that fit in with the “surf.”

The cobalt blue stems, seen in various posts on this site, were for water and the clear stems for wine.

The foundation of the centerpiece is the indigo blue “Logarno” glass vase from Z Gallerie topped with a large moss ball. The vase is lit from underneath with a multi-pinspot LED uplight designed to direct light upward into floral arrangements. (Lower right-hand corner of collage.)


The rest of the centerpiece that extends down the length of the table includes a number of repeated elements. Cobalt blue cylinders with the same color as the water stems have chunky white candles for ambient dinner light. Smaller clear cylinders, mimicking the colorless wine glasses, dot the table with white Fuji mums. Smaller moss balls and a few cobalt blue votive holders complete the look.

It was an honor and a delight to work with Mary Stilley who was most gracious to Sheri, Ramon, and me as we set up and broke down the table. She is indeed “The Hostess With the Mostess”!
Many thanks to the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, its Board of Directors, Advisory Board and staff (including Sheryl Franke!) for allowing me to participate in the auction for such a worthwhile cause.

Other posts on this site using blue and green:
“Summer Blues & Greens“
“Under a Paper Moon“

Other posts on this site using cobalt blue:
“Daffodillyicious“
“Peony Power“
“Blue & White 30th Birthday“
“Summer Blues & Greens“

Other posts on this site with a tropical flair:
“Tropicana“
“Summer Breeze“
“Hot Tropical“
“Flamingos in Paradise“
“Oranges & Blossoms“

I’m joining Cuisine Kathleen for the fun blog party known as “Let’s Dish” starting at 6:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday. I’ll also be joining Susan for “Tablescape Thursday” on Thursday morning starting at 9:00 CDT. If you want to see the work of some really talented tablescapers, click on over to join us!

Purple + Green = Happy Birthday!

/ Alycia Nichols / 56 Comments

“Best friends are those who, when you show up at their door with a dead body, say nothing, grab a shovel, and follow you.” –author unknown

I have been very fortunate to have the same best friend for nearly 50 years. Yes, yes, I know…I only look 25 (HA! :-)), but it’s true: Sheri and I have been friends since the 1st grade!!! We have seen each other through all of what life has flung at us, and we’ve had a rollicking good “Thelma & Louise” kind of time through it all. No two people could be more different, have more diverse interests, be as “day and night” as we are, but that has never seemed to matter. We’ve always remained the Yin to the other’s Yang. Like Felix and Oscar…with ovaries! 🙂

Sheri has a birthday coming up on Friday. While she prefers to keep things low-key these days, I can still at least imagine the party I would throw in her honor! This is a setting that would also work well for a bridal shower or, with grapes and pears added to the mix, a lovely summer vineyard wedding reception.
(Click on any image to enhance/enlarge it.)

Varying shades of purple with bright lime green tempered with white would be a welcome sight for the birthday girl and her guests. The setting is simple with relatively clean lines, but it has lots of energetic color. The setting is anchored with a floor-length white table linen that, not unlike an artist’s canvas, shows off that color at its best.

Each place setting begins with an acrylic lavender charger from Michael’s, followed by a lime green dinner plate from Dollar Tree (a great place to really stretch a buck…everything in the place is just $1!!!) and a white Corelle salad plate. You don’t always have to use top of the line dishes and accessories to create a beautiful, tasteful, memorable tablescape!

White cotton hemstitch napkins are simply cinched with a length of lavender organza ribbon.

The flatware is also kept simple. The only embellishment on it echoes the ridges on the rim of the dinner plate.

Sheri and I both love to eat good food. She sometimes phones me to ask, “What do I feel like eating? I know I’m hungry, but I can’t figure out what I want to eat.” I ceremoniously smack my lips and wrack my brain for something tasty that I think will satisfy her taste buds. It actually works about 90% of the time! The menu for her birthday would include food that I know she loves. I created these menus on my home computer using specialty papers from Michael’s and Hobby Lobby.

I have waited what seems like a lifetime to use this stemware!!! I love the sultry plum color! The goblets are from Stein Mart, and the fun pilsners are from T.J. Maxx.

Sheri has always loved flowers, and there would be no shortage of multi-bloom bouquets at her dinner party to perk up the room! Here, an assemblage of hydrangea, roses, Dutch tulips, acid-green viburnum, and Dutch lilac in simply-styled lime green ceramic vases mixes with a scattering of plums and green apples.

The buffet behind the dining table boasts the same colors for the florals and accessories but includes a bit more white.  The purple & green floral pots are actually lightweight and convenient-to-store Styrofoam™! I bought them at a wholesale place headquartered in a town just about 35 minutes away from our home. These will come in very handy for future Spring and Easter tablescapes!

Chunky pillar candles embellished with the same organza ribbon used to tie the napkins are set atop curvy white turned wood Z Gallerie candlesticks.

Ask guests to wrap gifts in colors that will complement the decor. Here, woven strips of lavender organza and lime green satin ribbon dress up a plain white gift box. The box is gussied up even further with a few blooms that match the decor.

A plain pitcher is made to look special by the deep, rich apple juice/plum juice/peach nectar beverage created just for this occasion. Slices of fruit always give a little more “oomph!” to beverage displays. The lime green acrylic appetizer plates are from Target.

I always like to add little touches throughout the room that complement the table decor. The china cabinet in the corner is treated to the same flower pots as the buffet but filled with chartreuse roses and raffia filler.

So what cocktail hour music would I choose? Songs about friends, of course, with Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend”, Sweet Baby James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend”, and Kenny Rogers’ “You Were a Good Friend” topping the list.  And as we’re both fast approaching our AARP years, what kind of friend and hostess would I be if I didn’t include the theme from “The Golden Girls”? 😉

Through thick and thin, good hairstyles and bad, for better or worse, from here to eternity…Sheri Lynn Grant will always be my best friend. She has to be…the girl knows way too much! 🙂
Happy Birthday, Sheri!

Other posts on this site using purple:
“Purple & Pastel“
“Planning in Purple“

I will be joining Cuisine Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!” this week along with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for “Tablescape Thursday“. C’mon by and take a peek at what all the tablescapers from around the globe are up to!

Blue & White 30th Birthday

/ Alycia Nichols / 67 Comments

No, silly…not my 30th birthday! We just hosted our 3rd and final child’s 30th birthday party this past Sunday. I’m putting this photo first because seeing 3 of them through to 30 deserves a celebratory drink…or two…or three! 🙂
(All photos by Sheri L. Grant. Click any image to enhance/enlarge it.)

The guest of honor requested Chinese food for her party, so cool….Asian cuisine and decor it is! As guests arrived they were invited to enjoy a virgin Mai Tai (with “fuel” provided on the side for those of us who like it leaded!!! ;-)) A mix of pineapple & orange juices splashed with cherry limeade made up the Mai Tais, and I threaded orange slices and maraschino cherries onto fun bamboo skewers from World Market to dress them up and add flavor. These beautiful cobalt blue champagne flutes from Dollar Tree were a perfect companion to our blue & white theme throughout. (Shopping at Dollar Tree and Deal$ – owned by the same parent company – is a smart way to really stretch your tablescaping dollars!) Ralph Lauren “Mandarin” plates are a decorative addition to the foyer table along with mums floating in Pier 1 white ceramic bowls.

One by one, the guests began to arrive. (My stepdaughter/the guest of honor, Robyn, is the one wearing the white sleeveless blouse.)

Because we have such a tiny dining room, we turned the family room into a casual chic Chinese restaurant in blue and white for the evening. I used white outdoor bistro chairs here, but if you can splurge on a bamboo Chiavari or Chippendale chair or even a wicker or seagrass chair…that would be beyond fabulous!!! Let your budget dictate what you use. Bamboo chairs are SO on my wish list!!!

After draping two 6-ft. oblong tables with white full-length linens to create a sumptuously long 12-foot Tuscan-style table, I created place settings using square rattan chargers from Tuesday Morning. I had my sister running all over Minnesota (the closest state to Missouri where there were more of them!) looking for enough of these for 12. Thanks, Barf! Fun monstera leaf placemats from Z Gallerie added depth and color. White square plates from the B. Smith collection (Bed Bath & Beyond) and beautiful rice bowls with a cutout for chopsticks from Old Time Pottery finish off the place setting. We kept the rice bowls on the plates as decor until just before guests were seated for dinner, at which time we moved them to the center of the table and placed the chopsticks alongside the flatware.

I never know who prefers what, so I included both Cambridge dark faux bamboo flatware (Home Goods and One King’s Lane) and stainless steel chopsticks I picked up from an Asian market in Overland Park, KS. The blue & white ceramic chopstick rests came from that same market for a very reasonable price. I bought the beautiful mother of pearl mosaic napkin rings at Old Time Pottery, but I have also seen them at Z Gallerie.

Cobalt blue goblets from Dollar Tree used for orange spice tea match the champagne flutes used for Mai Tais upon the guests’ arrival.

This large blue & white ceramic ginger jar from Home Goods served as the anchor for the extended centerpiece which also included two smaller ginger jars. All were set atop lacquered rosewood stands from Old Time Pottery to give them more prominence on the table.

To lend height, color, texture, and drama to the table, I used clear gooseneck fluted vases to hold oversized monstera leaves from Hobby Lobby that mimicked the placemats. By all means, if you have access to real monstera leaves, go for it with gusto!!! Fan palms or banana leaves would also look really cool!

I wanted the table to have an exotic Far East feel about it, so I added these cool white parrots from Z Gallerie to the mix. (To see another post with these parrots, click HERE for “Caribbean Queen”.) They looked right at home perched in the “shade” of the monstera leaves and pinkish mums.

My original idea was to hang white paper lanterns throughout the room, but the persistent pain of not one but two torn rotator cuffs put the brakes on that in a hurry. All that overhead work would have done me in for sure! So I opted to hang a few in the window (with hubby’s help!) and display more on top of the big, bulky television armoire. If you can’t move it out, decorate it!

It hit 95 degrees this day, so no one opted for hot tea after dinner. A good hostess is always prepared, though! The teapot is from Pier 1, and the little teacups are from World Market. I bought the trio of graduated size bamboo trays from a wholesaler years ago. They were stacked like this in storage, and I thought they would look cool (as well as add height) if I kept them that way.

Robyn’s favorite is chicken fried rice, so that had to be front and center on the buffet table set up in the dining room.

Appetizers included spring rolls, crab rangoon and lettuce wraps.

Another appetizer was skewered chunks of fresh pineapple and strawberries from Costco set on white miso spoons from Pier 1 and drizzled with honey. The spoons are displayed on bamboo trays purchased at Old Time Pottery.

Surely you do not think for a New York minute that I actually cooked all of this food? Ha! I leave Chinese food to the die-hard professionals who know their way around a wok! Oriental Express in Kansas City, MO, has some of the best Chinese food around, and the service always comes with a great smile from beautiful Jie (I hope I spelled that right!). Cooked to perfection every time for a very reasonable price, it’s worth the 25-minute drive from our house! Many, many thanks to everyone there for providing such a wonderful meal!!! (Full disclosure: The spring rolls and lettuce wraps were a last-minute addition from Costco.)

Oriental Express on Urbanspoon

The back buffet was simply decorated with another ginger jar on a rosewood stand flanked by two (faux) bonsai trees (TJ Maxx) and bowls (Hobby Lobby) of fresh floating mums.

After dinner, Ramon presented Robyn with her beautiful (and delicious!!!) cake from Patrick Snuffer Cakes (816-452-7590). He free-handed a cherry blossom branch in icing to go along with our Asian theme. (Do you see how Ramon is holding that cake…making it sag in the middle??? I’m going to have to give the little Mr. a good talkin’ to! :-))

After dinner and dessert, we played a fun (and slightly naughty!) fortune cookie game called “In Bed.” One of my silly former colleagues introduced me to this game about 20 years ago. Each person opens their cookie and reads their fortune aloud ending it with the words “in bed.” Try it sometime….as you can see from the expression on the guests’ faces, it’s hilarious!!!!!!!! 🙂 (Poor Mike was sweatin’ bullets reading that in front of my husband and me!)

The birthday girl and her beau, Mike, looking like the cats that ate the canary. They have a LOT of teeth, don’t they? The teeth just go on for miles, and miles, and miles, and miles….!!! 🙂
Happy 30th Birthday, Robyn!!!

More Asian-inspired tablescapes on this blog:
“Mandarin Bling“
“Year of the Rabbit“
“Peaceful Peonies“
“Copper Zen“
“Mikasa ‘Daylight’ Giveaway“
“Mum’s the Word“
“Zen Garden“

More posts using paper lanterns:
“Under a Paper Moon“
“Easter Brunch“

More posts on this site using cobalt blue:
“Daffodillyicious“
“Peony Power“
“Surf & Turf Dinner“
“Brilliant Italian“
“Summer Blues & Greens“

I am joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for “Tablescape Thursday” anytime after 9:00 a.m. CDT. Join me, won’t you?

Fairy Tale Wedding Shower – Princess & the Frog

/ Alycia Nichols / 81 Comments

Full disclosure: My granddaughter has zero interest in anything “girly” in nature, so I am left to cater to other people’s fantasies. Oh, well…c’est la vie.

I recently found three pink painted metal dress forms on the clearance shelf at Michael’s marked down 80% from $17.99 to a much more palatable $3.59 each. I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but before I could say “plies and pirouettes”, I found myself making miniature tutus. Me! The grandmother of a child who, after seeing pictures of herself decked out in a feathered number for dance class that made her look like Big Bird, spent a considerable amount of time bulking up and went dressed as The Hulk for Halloween!!!


After several grueling days of cutting and tying tulle and hot gluing my fingers together more than once, I had miraculously created 3 very girly tutus. After adding a healthy dose of rosettes and bling, I decided this could easily pass for a ballet tablescape, brides, bridesmaids, or princess tablescape. Fabulous! So if you’re looking to throw a “Princess & the Frog” or “Frog Prince” or “Black Swan” kind of bridal shower or birthday party, this over-the-top tablescape might be right up your alley! (Seriously, though, if you’re going to throw your best friend a “Black Swan” bridal shower, maybe you should reevaluate your relationship! :-))
(Click on any image to enlarge/enhance.)

I promise the candles aren’t crooked. They just oddly photographed that way!

The tulle used for the tutus is ivory, so I used an ivory full-length linen and napkins. TIP: for real weddings and tablescapes: If the bride is wearing an ivory gown, best to go with ivory linens in the reception space so as to not make the bride’s attire appear dingy. Years of professional wedding plan taught me that little gem!

I’m not a super fan of shiny runners at all, but they just seemed to work here. The blinding pink runners and creamy ivory linens are all from LinenTablecloth.com.


I used 13″ round mirrors purchased a couple of years ago at Hobby Lobby as chargers and “10 Strawberry Street” ivory stoneware from TJ Maxx. Ivory dishes are a nice little addition to your collection as they come in handy when using ivory linens.

You can buy cute lily pads like this from places like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. Since “diamonds” are a major part of this overall theme (after all, they are a girl’s best friend whether she’s a bride, a princess or a ballerina!), I sprinkled on a handful. I guess they could also pass for water droplets if you want to go that route! The tiny ceramic frogs are from 2011 stock at Hobby Lobby. A demure pink spray rose brings color and yet another layer of texture to the setting.

The flatware is none other than my beloved “Royal Danish” sterling. The napkins are bundled up with a pretty “diamond” napkin ring. I bought these wholesale, but I have seen similar ones at places like Tuesday Morning and Z Gallerie. (Aaahhhh…Z Gallerie! The happiest place on earth!)

The diamond cut in the Cristal d’Arques “Longchamps” stemware is a perfect fit!

The centerpiece is a compilation of pink princesses, silver Revere candlesticks with ivory candles (you need to carry the ivory all the way through!), scads of “diamonds”, and pretty pink roses.

Someday I may do a tutorial of my own on how to create a no-sew tutu, but in the meantime you can click HERE for Julie Figueroa’s very easy step-by-step instruction. It’s basically just tying strips of tulle onto a length of ribbon. Too easy…even for clueless, craft-challenged me! I hot glued silk rosettes to the waistline and sporadically across the skirt itself. Little rhinestones were a pain (literally AND figuratively!) to put on, but the results were worth the half tube of silvadene cream. 🙂 To lend a little height and put these princesses on a pedestal (again, both literally AND figuratively!), I added 6″ silver cake plateaus/stands. (So sorry….I bought the cake stands wholesale several years ago and have no idea where to direct you to buy some this size.) A generous smattering of more “diamonds” runs the length of the centerpiece.

Medium-sized pink roses are nestled into a sea of more of the acrylic “diamonds” that fill a Cristal d’Arques “Longchamps” mini vase.

The final component of the centerpiece is a parade of 11″ silver Revere candlesticks. I used my trusty (ivory) 15″ Paradise metal case candles to avoid any messy drips and reduce the threat of fire that always exists…especially when using something so flammable as tulle! Metal case candles found at stores like Hobby Lobby are usually white, but you can ask your florist to get other colors and sizes for you.

The exalted Frog Prince eyes the bevy of beautiful princesses from his perch on the buffet behind the table. A 12″ silver cake stand in the same pattern as those used to elevate the princesses gives him a little height. A larger lily pad is topped with a lacy ivory ring bearer’s pillow from the Beverly Clark collection. A trail of much heftier diamonds runs the length of the buffet along with clusters of soft pink roses. Notice that the silver candlesticks on the buffet are quite similar in shape (by design) to those used on the dining table to lend continuity. Ivory pillar candles are used to double back ambient light in the mirror.

Maybe someday my granddaughter will decide she wants to be a fairy princess instead of a weird, angry, steroid-enhanced green dude. A grandmother can only hope!

See more pretty pink posts on this site:
“Days of Wine & Roses“
“Peonies & Pearls“
“Chocolate Traditional“
“Princess Pink Birthday Dinner“
“Pink Plaid & Posies“
“Showered in Pink“
“Springtime in Paris Mother’s Day Buffet“
“Mother’s Day Luncheon“
“Tea Roses“
“Coming Up Roses“
“Au Revoir“
“Blushing Bridal Shower“
“Peony Power!“
“Pleasant Under Glass“

Come on over and join the party at Cuisine Kathleen’s “Let’s Dish!” anytime after 7:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday! I’m also joining for the first time “Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits” over at Yvonne’s “Stone Gable” blog. Then be sure to join Susan and a whole bunch of my cool blogger buddies for “Tablescape Thursday” anytime after 9:00 a.m. CDT on Thursday. You’ll be glad you did!

Working Lunch

/ Alycia Nichols / 45 Comments

My husband is giving me “that look.” You know the one: the look that says, “Here we go again! Just shoot me now!” But I swear on a stack of pancakes I am NOT getting back into the wedding business!!! I am simply lending the benefit of my expertise to two three a few couples who have recently asked me for a little jump-start in their planning. And it’s not like I’m planning the entire wedding like I used to. Just the reception decor part. I mean, what’s the harm in that? 🙂

I had a lunch meeting a couple of weeks ago with a lovely couple and Mother-of-the-bride who are planning a May 2013 wedding. We spent nearly an entire day together, grinding our way through the details of their reception decor. I wanted to continue working right through the noon hour, so I set up a casual & fun lunch table that was pretty much in line with their chosen colors…and professions!
(Click on any image to enhance/enlarge it.)

Thanks to the sweltering heat (stick a fork in me…am I done yet??!?!!), we were relegated to the basement level of our home for the marathon meeting. We worked on the soft seating/big screen TV side of the room for most of the day, but lunch was set up in a little out-of-the-way corner on a marble top table.

Both the groom and the Mother-of-the-bride are elementary school teachers, so I thought it would be fun to use these lunch trays to make them feel right at home. (And to remind them that they’ll be right back in there with those screamin’ little demons in less than a month! :-)) I got an “A” for effort on that one!

I have been holding onto these really cool lunch boxes from Kirkland’s for another upcoming project, but the couple’s colors are turquoise, orange and white. How could I resist? Another “A” for effort!

I set it up so that we could just take the food from our lunch box and put it on our plate when ready to eat.

The chocolate and white luncheon-sized melamine plates (Target 2010) have just a touch of muted orange and turquoise in the simple design. I couldn’t believe how the plate colors nearly spot on matched those of the fun retro design lunch box!!! (The lunch box design reminds me of “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In“. If you’re old enough to remember that show, take a little break and go fix yourself – and me! – a Metamucil cocktail with a Geritol chaser! ;-)) Fun white flatware from TJ Maxx lightens the look and stands out nicely against the deep color of the lunch tray. A bottle of refreshing Sioux City orange cream soda looks great with the setting and tastes great goin’ down…like a creamsicle!!!

Lunch was a quick and easy one: a piquant Southern fried chicken sandwich, a parchment paper cone filled with crispy thin Lay’s potato chips, and little Ziploc baggies of celery and carrot sticks. Just like in grade school…but without the stinky kid with the perpetually runny nose wanting to sit next to you! 🙂 I put a little ice pack in the bottom of each lunch box to keep the contents cold until time to eat.


The little wine table beneath the small screen TV was perfect for setting up munchies and dessert. (Yes….sadly, we have two televisions in the basement. My husband has grand delusions of this being a TGIFriday’s!)

We finally called it a day around 4:20. Sheesh….7 grueling hours of decision making!!! But guess what? The decor side of the wedding is now all but set in stone, and we won’t have to meet again until early April to finalize everything. Hallelujah! I love it when things work out like that!!! I hope you’ll check back next May to see the fruits of our labor!

Oh…I forgot the other thing: I got a glowing report card of straight A’s on my tablescape!!! 🙂 It would work really well for any kind of meeting including a teachers’ back to school planning session. This lunch and learn tablescape would also be something fun and different for a teen study group!

I’m linking up on Wednesday night with Cuisine Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!“ and on Thursday morning with Susan for “Tablescape Thursday“ over at Between Naps on the Porch. You can also find me at BeBetsy.com. I hope you’ll join us!

Diwali My Way

/ Alycia Nichols / 46 Comments

The extent to which I am familiar with Indian culture is that which I’ve seen in movies like “Bend It Like Beckham”. Last year, though, I found a blog called Rainbow – The Colours of India hosted by my blogger buddy Sanghamitra Bhattacherjee (Mukherjee). Sanghamitra is an avid traveler and photographer who captures some of the most beautiful images I’ve ever seen. She has become my personal version of National Geographic. 🙂 I’m in awe of people who can just pack a suitcase and hit the road (or skies, or water) without reservation or hesitation. I’m the consummate homebody, so I live vicariously through those brave, happy-go-lucky souls.

Sanghamitra’s photos of the bright colors of India, along with her posts last Fall on Diwali (popularly known as the “festival of lights“), inspired me to try my hand at a table that celebrates the festival which generally begins in October/November. This Diwali-inspired tablescape is by no means “traditional” or “authentic”, but it is my attempt to capture the colors, smells, tastes and feel of a country I admire but will never see in person. I think it fits right in with Cuisine Kathleen’s “Destination Challenge” this week!
(Click on any image to enhance/enlarge it.)

An abundance of rich, bright colors starts with the hot pink overlay.

 

Each place setting begins with a gold-leafed glass charger. The amber glass dinner plates are from Pier 1, and the 222 Fifth “Ornamental Scroll” salad plates were a Home Goods find a couple of years ago.

Sheer gold napkins from Pier 1 are cinched with tiny child-size bangles purchased at a local market called Namaste India. It’s a fun place to shop with lots of different foods, clothing, jewelry and other items unique to the Indian culture.

Shiny gold flatware works well against the brilliant colors.

A combination of opulent glassware includes gold-embellished tumblers that I bought at TJ Maxx in several different base colors (purple, red, turquoise) including the green pictured here. The purple gold-rimmed wine glasses were a Pier 1 find many years ago, and the leggy amber flute is from World Market. I love every opportunity to mix and match glassware!

The centerpiece that extends the length of the table is a mix of various components. Hot pink rose balls sit center stage atop a gold vase. Flanking the vases are graceful red gem-studded gold Buddhas that I found at Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft store a couple of years ago. Multi-colored glass votive holders dot the rich swath of red & gold silk fabric placed diagonally and allowed to puddle onto the floor for dramatic effect.

The buffet behind the table boasts colors that complement in the flowers, candles and other details.

Spices commonly used in Indian cooking are as beautiful as they are tasty. Coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, ginger, mustard seed, paprika and turmeric are just a few of the wonderfully fragrant spices that add zesty flavor.

Cinnamon, star anise, and fragrant bay leaf are other popular spices used in Indian cooking that produce a special flavor. Finish off the evening with a fabulous libation made with blue curacao liqueur.

I carried the hot pink color to the buffet via a small arrangement of peonies and a more imposing bouquet of calla lilies in a brass vase from India.

Other Asian-inspired posts on this site:
“Mandarin Bling“
“Copper Zen“
“Peaceful Peonies“
“Year of the Rabbit“
“Zen Garden“
“Mikasa Daylight Giveaway“

I enjoyed my week off and got a lot done, but I’m glad to be back with all of you in Blogland! Please join me at Cuisine Kathleen’s for “Let’s Dish!” and at Susan’s place for Tablescape Thursday again this week!

Time Out!

/ Alycia Nichols / 35 Comments

I am taking a brief, but much-needed, blogging break. My house looks like a remnant camp of Occupy America, I’ve not been to the salon in weeks so my eyebrows look like Abe Vigoda and Andy Rooney had a baby, my husband now refers to me as “What’s-Her-Name Who Used to Take Care of Me“….it’s all just a big ol’ hot mess around here!!! And just keeping it real, folks, I need some plain old R&R! 🙂

I am so grateful for each and every visit, and I hope you’ll hang in there with me. I’ll be back next week (or possibly the next…depends on if my stylist has to send out for more wax to tackle these caterpillar eyebrows!) stronger than ever. Meanwhile, especially if you’re a first-time visitor, please take a look around and see if there’s anything you like!

Have a glorious week (or two!), and I’ll see you on the flip side! 🙂

Bling Wedding – Lauren & Darren

/ Alycia Nichols / 58 Comments

Some may recall the horrendous Thanksgiving table construction disaster of 2011. I will never forget it. Ever. You’d think I had learned my lesson, but no-oooooo!!! My husband and I got up at the (pardon my French, ladies & gents) butt crack of dawn to create this table outdoors before the 100+° heat chased us back in. Ah! Great plan! Until…..I was so horrified this time that I couldn’t even take pictures of it. A sudden gust of wind swelled from out of nowhere, and…I think you can easily guess the rest! The sound was so deafening that…well…let’s just say I had to trash the shorts I was wearing! 😉

You’ve heard variations of the quote “God looks out for fools, drunks and old people”? As I would be defined as the trifecta where that’s concerned, I apparently received special dispensation on all 3 counts because, despite the 20-car pile-up look-alike on the table, nothing actually broke. Luckily, I had gotten quite a few shots off before the wind sneezed. I wasn’t going to take any further chances, though, and we promptly whisked everything back indoors. I reset the table and took the final shots in there. So if it looks like these photos were taken in 2 different places, it’s because they were!

Without further whining, here’s an all-white table that could be duplicated for a wedding reception or anniversary party. I dedicate it to my friend, Lauren, and her husband, Darren, who just celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary. So please sign the guest book, come on in, and have a seat at…where else?…Table 21!!!
(Click on any image to enhance/enlarge it!)

I love the look of an all-white wedding reception! It’s so clean and crisp and, well, wedding-y! 🙂 Lauren & Darren’s actual wedding colors 26 years ago were pink (or was that called “mauve” in the 80s?) and white, but this is what I would envision for their anniversary celebration if I could be there in ol’ St. Louis to do this for them.

White full-length linens are reminiscent of Lauren’s sweeping white gown in 1986. Silverplate chargers are the foundation for place settings created using my sister’s Noritake “Whitebrook” china.

I created menus that incorporate more “bling” via the wedding ring clip art and a teardrop-shaped faux gemstone brad at the top.

Estate silver from my personal collection accompanies Godinger “Chelsea” stemware with its diamond design (implied bling!) and starched white hemstitch napkins in a simple square fold atop each bread plate.

At the bride’s place setting, a trio of full-blown creamy white roses are nestled into a Baroque silver bouquet holder.

These teardrop pearl and rhinestone-studded frames hold place cards for each guest.

Lots and lots of flowers in shades of creamy white grace the center of the table. Besides the very prominent towers of cascading dendrobium orchids are six small rose and cymbidium orchid arrangements in 6″ glass goose neck vases and four all-rose arrangements in silver Revere bowls. Each rose has a rhinestone pin stuck in the center for a little extra bling. At two intervals, suites of 4 silver Revere candlesticks with 25″H white candles surround the smallest floral arrangements. Introducing the tall silver candlesticks breaks up the sea of glass at that level on the table created by the taller vases. Having 4 heights of floral arrangements creates drama at many different eye levels. (It’s 4 heights because the tower vases are a single 31″ in the center flanked by two 24″.)

These tall & graceful goose neck tower vases have enjoyed a long 30+ year run in the decorating world. It’s all about making the overall arrangement a little bit different to breathe new life into them. Here I used lots of green-tinged white dendrobium orchid stems. For this demonstration, the orchids are faux (just $1 each on sale at Hobby Lobby!!!), but a profusion of the real deal on a wedding table…heavenly!!! I used curly-Q ornament hangers to get the arrangement dripping with bling. Not satisfied to stop there, I visually (and literally!) strung together the tower vases using 6-ft. bling garland. Just hook the ends to the lip of each vase with the hangers! I bought all my bling at a wholesale place, but you can find something similar at places like Hobby Lobby or through your florist. Actually, the single teardrop bling for chandeliers can be purchased at places like Home Depot or Lowe’s in the lighting & fan department! If you’re really ambitious, string together your own unique combination of bling! (Hint based on my wind-blown experience: If you are planning an outdoor event, make sure that tall, top-heavy arrangements are either heavily weighted or have sufficient protection from wind gusts. Don’t try to fight Mother Nature…she always wins!)

So…did you follow the sort of theme going on here with the teardrop shape? In the menu card brads, the place card frames, the floral bling. It’s important to do that to instill continuity at the subconscious level of the brain where people kinda think, “I love it! It all just flows!” Well, yeah, it flows! It flows because you’re subtly repeating a theme. The same applies to the repeated elements down the center of the Tuscan-style table. It just…say it with me, everyone…flows!

Congratulations to Lauren & Darren! I wish you many more years of wedded bliss!

Other posts suited for weddings on this site:
“Purple & Pastel”
“Roses in October”
“Autumn White Wedding”
“Something Blue Bridal Luncheon”
“Peonies & Pearls”
“White Hot”
“Get Me to the Church On Time”
“Showered in Pink”
“Blushing Bridal Shower”
“Rhapsody In Blue“

I’m joining Cuisine Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!“, The Style Sisters for Centerpiece Wednesday, and Susan for her 200th edition of “Tablescape Thursday” this week! You can also find me at BeBetsy.com!

All-American Seafood Boil

/ Alycia Nichols / 56 Comments

As hot as it is here in the Kansas City, MO (USA) area I could probably just sit a pot of cold water on the deck and drop the lobsters in to boil after about 5 minutes. It is CRAZY hot here with no relief in sight!!! For those readers like Suzy Q of At the Farmhouse and Carolyn of Desire Empire in Australia who are going into winter right now…please come get me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a serious lapse in good judgment yesterday morning and got out on the deck to set up this 4th of July tablescape that will NOT come back for “real life” next week if this heat keeps up. I’ll spend the 4th eating red, white & blue popsicles while sitting on the AC vent! (It’s getting lonely in the Costco cooler! :-))
(Click on any image to enhance/enlarge it.)

A full-length white cotton tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com masks the ordinary folding table. We don’t subscribe to the newspaper, so instead of the usual seafood boil newspaper, the tablecloth is topped with a piece of red & white striped vinyl. The vinyl started out with a million folds in it, but 6 minutes in the dryer on the delicate cycle and a little smoothing knocked ’em right out. Using a decorative topper instead of newspaper makes it a little more upscale, and the stripes remind me of those that grace the U.S. flag. It cost just $5 at Home Goods, so I won’t be too upset if it gets damaged. The LinenTablecloth.com linens launder very easily, so no worries there.

Medium-tone rattan chargers from Tuesday Morning bring a natural element to the table. Simple white Corelle dinner plates are topped with fun M Studios salad plates with a bright red lobster motif from TJ Maxx. Nothing says “seaside” like lobster dishes! 🙂

For an Independence Day table, what other flatware are ya gonna use besides a design called “Patriot”? 😉 The dinner & salad forks are accompanied by a lobster pick from World Market to extract every last succulent morsel.

The cotton napkins – which are actually bandannas from Hobby Lobby – are folded in the same manner as a U.S. flag and placed on the diagonal edge of the square charger. My husband who is former Air Force showed me how to make the napkin fold. I got a huge lump in my throat thinking of how many times a flag has been folded in this manner to bestow upon a family whose loved one has perished at war.

Deep blue glass tumblers and clear water goblets from Old Time Pottery find their place at the table.

What’s a seafood boil without the requisite bucket? These red ones from Hobby Lobby are just the right size for individual servings, and a convenient handle makes it easy to carry from the buffet without getting burned.

Individual butter warmers like these from TJ Maxx are great not only for seafood meals but for warming sauces or apple butter for Sunday morning biscuits.

I like to get multiple uses out of things I buy, especially if they cost a lot of money. I used these Z Gallerie white lacquered lanterns for elevated pillar candles HERE. For this display, however, I simply unscrewed the piece that elevates the candle to make room for seashells and flags. Completely different look! Cheery white Gerbera daisies in white ceramic vases from Michael’s visually connect the lanterns.

Fun red, white and blue ceramic star bowls from Pier 1 are perfect for chowder. Cherry bomb red lobster crackers from World Market and crab mallets from Amazon.com will help unleash the delicious meat from the claws.

World Market did a wonderful job this year of providing lots of accessories for seafood dinners including these fun lobster bibs. The Hobby Lobby star-struck ceramic pitchers are ready to take on guests’ thirst.

I bought several of these cool wooden boats from Hobby Lobby several years ago, and they have been a part of many different decorating ventures. Brimming with mollusk shells, they are a really fun addition to the buffet table!

Ahoy, matey! Call guests to dinner with this very cool (and very loud!) Captain’s bell. I bought this one at Home Goods, and I can see it being used for a lot in the future! The string of wooden fish is one of the most fun props in my inventory. I bought it at a place called Premiere Gallery in Kansas City, MO that is now defunct. Boy, oh boy, did they ever have some wild stuff there! I really miss that place!

This tablescape would also be perfect for celebrating Labor Day, Veterans Day, or the homecoming of one of our brave veterans!

I hope it’s cool enough on the 4th to celebrate outside where you are! Whatever you do, please be careful, and have a great time!

Other tablescapes with a patriotic and/or nautical theme on this site:
All-American Seafood Boil
Stars & Stripes 
Lauren in the Library
Show Me State Dinner
Red, White & Blueberries
4th of July Coastal Style
American Royal Tablescape
A Coke & A Smile – Summer’s Last Hurrah

Join me again this week for Susan’s “Tablescape Thursday” anytime after 9:00 a.m. CDT. I’m sure my fellow bloggers will have lots of creative decorating ideas for your Independence Day celebration!

You can now find me at BeBetsy.com, too!! And please visit The Coconut Head Survival Guide’s “Memorial Day Patriot’s Palooza Party” in support of our military!

Summer Orange Tablescape

/ Alycia Nichols / 53 Comments

If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where the mid-summer heat and humidity doesn’t rob you of all your energy and drench you from head to toe, this saucy orange tablescape might work well for your next casual dinner party. As for me, I’m campin’ out in the big produce cooler at Costco! 😉
(Click on any image to enhance/enlarge it!)

If your outdoor tables are unsightly like ours (average Joe folding tables), just add a full-length linen to cover up the scene of the crime. It masks the ugly and adds a touch of class a la Carolyne Roehm! LinenTablecloth.com is a good place to start your search for linens that fully cover all sizes in white, ivory or black. (Their customer service re: returns/exchanges is not the best from my experience, so choose carefully!)

I skipped chargers this go round. Instead, each place is set with just an orange dinner plate with a meandering white floral design and a salad plate with a reversed color palette. These melamine plates from Target’s 2010 summer collection are just one of so many great patterns available these days at very affordable prices.

The sheer simplicity of Hampton Silversmiths’ “Patriot” flatware works well with so many settings!

Simple clear glass stemware from Old Time Pottery is both inexpensive and functional, and the austere design won’t clash with even the busiest dinnerware pattern.

There are so many great reasons to opt for a long Tuscan-style table for your entertaining needs. Many tend to think that round tables allow for conversation with more guests, but that’s not necessarily the case. If you measure the distance between 6 guests seated at a 72″ round table and compare it to that of 6 guests seated at an 72″ oblong, you’ll see what I mean! The decorating possibilities are extended, too, both literally and figuratively because you can create wonderfully lush centerpieces in the spirit of fabled King Arthur’s era!!!

I used a number of elements to fill out the center of this table. The central component that lends height and allows for candlelight at an elevated level is a pair of white metal hurricane lanterns from Z Gallerie. Flanking 2 sides of each lantern are pots of grass that add both color and texture to the tablescape. Note that the votive holders used are the same shape of the cylinder in the hurricane. Similarly shaped decorative pieces create a subtle sense of order and uniformity.

Whenever possible, I like to place multiple small floral arrangements across the table. Grouping some and leaving some as singles adds visual interest and forms a kind of “link” between elements down the entire length. Here clusters of inexpensive white alstroemeria are displayed in fun pear-shaped orange ceramic vases from Old Time Pottery.

When we dine in the yard, I like to create an outdoor lounge area for guests to chill out before and after the meal. Here I arranged our wrought iron set much as you would in a living room with silk pillows and a “sofa table” (actually just an ugly old 4′ folding table from the garage!) behind the settee. (Cushions are MIA due to a sudden hailstorm of bird poo that had to be vigorously scrubbed off! :-()

The sofa table is covered with a full-length white linen to better show off the orange accessories on top including an actual lamp brought out from our dining room. (Just run the cord to the nearest outdoor outlet! No outlet? Consider creating a cordless lamp using a shade on a glass vase with a battery-operated candle or uplight as seen HERE.) Use a “bug light” rather than a white bulb. It will not only ward off pesky insects, but the amber shade is very flattering and adds to the ambience! Cocktails – in this case, fuzzy navels made with peach schnapps, a splash of triple sec, and fresh-squeezed orange juice – are served from the table.

I’ll be really glad when I can fold up my tent and vacate the Costco produce cooler. Meanwhile, I hope you’re finding a way to stay cool and enjoy your outdoor entertaining!

Other summery tablescapes on this site using orange to jazz it up:
“Orange You Glad You Came to Dinner?“
“Mandarin Bling“
“Oranges & Blossoms“
“Raining Orchids”
“Hot Tropical“

I’m pleased to once again join Cuisine Kathleen for “Let’s Dish!“ starting Wednesday anytime after 6:00 CDT and Susan for “Tablescape Thursday” starting anytime after 9:00 a.m. on Thursday.