Happy Mother’s Day, Senator Mom (Ret.)

May 6, 2011July 30, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 22 Comments

As some of you may know, my Mom recently retired from the Missouri Senate. After serving five years in the Missouri House of Representatives, she was elected to the Senate in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. She served her district well, but decided late last year to step away from her career to spend more time with my Dad – her husband of 59 years – and our family.

Mom’s retirement was marked with a number of special events and honors, not to mention extensive media coverage. One “big ta-do” in her honor was held on March 25 at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center & State Museum in Kansas City, Mo. I was delighted to add the decorative flourishes to the event in celebration of her long and distinguished service to the Kansas City community and her birthday as she turned a tender 82. (She’s still so young…I don’t think this whole “retirement” thing will last but a hot second! 🙂 )

So, my dear blogger friends, if you will indulge me…as we celebrate Mother’s Day, I’d like to share with you a few photos from Mom’s retirement party.
Congratulations, Senator Mom!

A celebration in honor of Senator Yvonne S. Wilson.

Despite not feeling well at all (101 temp!), this is me clowning around in comfy Mary Janes and anklet socks. 🙂 I reluctantly changed into snazzy heels as guests began to arrive.

I wanted to have a single focal point in the room that would be visible from the entryway. Two of my cousins helped me get up on the buffet table to build this 8-ft. tall floral arrangement before the caterer arrived to add this fabulous food display. As the room grew darker, the hanging votives (LEDs for safety!) throughout the arrangement made a stunning statement.

Assorted bright green butterflies fluttered among the profusion of willow branches, eriostemon and dendrobium orchids.

I created arrangements in faux silver julep cups for the guest tables, surrounded by a trio of votives. (We went with faux silver cups so the volunteer hostesses could take them home later as a token of appreciation.) Smaller similar arrangements were created for the two guest book tables. I love these vintage-looking pink roses with the curly green edges!!! Sprigs of seeded eucalyptus and hypericum berries complete the look.

Our sweet friend, Patrick Snuffer, created the beautiful cakes for the event. Not only does he make deliciously moist cakes, but he is also an accomplished floral designer. The fresh rose and orchid arrangements on the five cakes are his designs.

I iced down bottles of sparkling wine for the toast in two of these oversized silver pedestal bowls. Adding a few orchid blooms to the mix makes it look extra special.

My sister who loves to do crafty projects came up with the idea to have guests sign pieces of photo fabric (something I never heard of!) that she will use to make a commemorative quilt.

Almost showtime! The Three Amigas check the list one last time. L to R: My cousin Virginia Dee Evans who worked patiently and tirelessly to coordinate the event, friend Karen Boyd who selflessly pitched in to help in any and every area possible, and me.

Local celebrity, “Tall” Paul Alexander surprised my Mom when he showed up to greet arriving guests. Tall Paul – a former member of the Harlem Globetrotters – is a doorman who has greeted everyone from presidents to movie stars to rock legends, has been a fixture at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City for 37 years. In the background is famed jazz musician Luqman Hamza (jazz enthusiasts may remember his 1950s hit “When You Surrender”) who wowed guests with his musical stylings throughout the evening. That handsome young fellow on the other side of my Mom is my Daddy, Jim.

Patrick created a beautiful corsage or orchids and seeded eucalyptus for my Mom.

For the piano, I created a compact arrangement of pink and green roses that sat atop one of my 31″H silver candelabra.

Family photo time! L to R: Nicole Wankel (nephew’s longtime girlfriend), nephew Justin Chamberlain-Dupree, Daddy Jim Wilson, Mom, niece Yvonne Chamberlain, Mom’s senatorial successor Kiki Curls, sister Berishia Wilson-Chamberlain, and me.

My feet are killing me and I am so sick I’m pretty sure I’m going to barf at any moment, but that perpetual public smile is still plastered on my face! My parents taught me well! 🙂

Missouri Governor Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon was among the 300+ guests who showed up to wish Mom well in her retirement and sign the commemorative quilt.

Newly elected Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James toasts my Mom. (Mayor James hails from both my high school and college alma maters!)

Once a politician, always a politician :-)…and always a gracious one! Mom thanks the crowd for their years of support. Not too shabby lookin’ for 82 years young!

The fun “thank you for your support” fortune cookie favor was another of my sister’s creations!

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!!!

All photos by Sheri L. Grant

Barton’s Easter Brunch

April 26, 2011November 15, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 48 Comments

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
Here’s a glimpse of this year’s Easter brunch tablescape at the Nichols household.

Because I have a childish sense of humor, I just have to point out here how the Bells of Ireland in the background are unintentionally giving the bunny on the table “bunny ears!”

This year’s Easter table for adults featured fun, durable, microwave & dishwasher-safe multi-colored stoneware from Mikasa.

I bought these Mikasa dishes several years ago and just love all the Easter egg colors! Each place setting starts with the same Pier 1 placemat and white ceramic charger from Old Time Pottery. I then mixed and matched the entrée and salad plate colors, topped off with fun ceramic eggs purchased from Hallmark about 18 years ago. Celery green napkins from Bed, Bath & Beyond, simple stainless flatware, and unadorned champagne & juice glasses round out the place settings.

My very favorite feature of the day’s place settings: the eggs open to reveal a very adult treat inside to enjoy after the kids are all tuckered out!!!

This is Barton Bunny. I bought him as a prop several years ago when I owned my fine rentals store. He makes such a fun centerpiece and is always the life of the party. Maybe it’s because he’s “stoned” from eating the adult Easter treat! Get it? Stoned? Made out of stone? Get it? Whatever. Moving on….! 🙂

Potted flowers – bright yellow daffodils, deep purple violets, and cheery pink cyclamen – are from the local nursery. The moss table runner, purchased from a local florist, still had that distinctively woodsy, mossy smell I like so much. Barton and the butterflies felt right at home!

The buffet held a variety of breads and pastries among the flowers. Coffee was served in multi-hued Mikasa stoneware mugs nestled in a thematic chipwood basket filled with the obligatory pastel colored “grass.”

I hope you had a wonderful, colorful, blessed Easter weekend!
Thank you for stopping by!
I’ll be taking next week off as my husband and I celebrate 20 joyous years together on May 3, but I hope you will visit again the following week of May 9. Happy tablescaping!

Other posts featuring Easter tablescapes on this site include:
“Easter Brunch”
“Easter Floral”
“Informally Formal”
“Spring & Easter Around the House”
“Spring Into Easter”
“Easter In Pink & Grey”
“All A’Bloom In Pink for Spring”
“Easter Bloom”
“The Party She Deserves”
“Carousel Colors”
“Pinky Peter Cottontail“

I’m joining Susan and the talented tablescapers of Tablescape Thursday.
Join us, won’t you?

Apple Green Luncheon

April 20, 2011July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 61 Comments

Thank you to all the new subscribers who have come on board in the last couple of weeks! I welcome you!!! And for those who have been around for a while, you know I thank you and appreciate your continued subscription!

I wanted to post what will be our Easter brunch table, but it’s too early for me to get started on it. I won’t start building it until Friday. I’ll post it next week, for sure! Click here if you missed the Easter brunch tablescape requested by a reader last week.

Meanwhile, I am so happy to be able to post a fun and colorful apple green luncheon tablescape. I apologize that I don’t have a person’s name to identify with this post request. The request came in about 2 months ago, and I am just getting around to sharing these ideas. I’m sorry it is coming so late, and I hope it is still useful!

If you’d like to see another tablescape using green, click here!

I have had lots of requests for pink & green tablescapes, but this is the first for an apple green & white tablescape. What better way to interpret that than with actual green apples!??!?!

Spring luncheon tables are always so much fun to create! This one is great for a spring or summer luncheon, indoors or out. (It could also work well in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day with a little tweaking!) I started with a crisp white cotton linen. Next comes a gorgeous Pier 1 apple green and white cotton placemat with a fabulous houndstooth pattern. Just for fun and a little added dimension, a clear acrylic square is set atop the placemat. Next comes a simple white ceramic charger, a clear luncheon plate, and finally a plain white salad plate from Corelle. An apple green cotton napkin from Bed, Bath & Beyond adds color to the dish arrangement. The stack is topped off with a Granny Smith apple under a miniature clear cloche bell jar from Hobby Lobby. Clear everyday stems for water and limeade along with contemporary J.A. Henckels “Bellaserra” stainless complete the look.

The centerpiece consists of three separate elements. First, for height, is a pair of clear square floral cylinders filled with Granny Smith apples and fresh Bells of Ireland, topped with a puffy green-tinged hydrangea head. I have used faux hydrangea and apples here for demonstration purposes, but the real thing looks absolutely incredible! If you go all fresh (and I sure hope you do!), fill the container with water to totally submerge the apples and Bells of Ireland stem. Submerged fruit and floral arrangements are so cool!!!

The second and third components of the centerpiece are small clear square votive holders with clumps of cheery green viburnum and a densely packed white kalanchoe plant from the flower nursery.

On the buffet behind the table is the beverage and dessert. Limeade served from a fancy glass decanter such as this makes it look a little more special. I bought this one wholesale some years ago, but check out places like Pottery Barn, Costco or even K-Mart. Float lime slices, Granny Smith apple slices, or a combination of both.

If your luncheon includes gifts for an honored guest, ask your other guests to wrap them in colors that correspond with the luncheon colors. Add a few random florals throughout the gifts for more color and texture so they look to be a part of the overall look and tie in with the table florals.

If you can spring for white chairs to gather ’round the table (ladder back cane chairs or garden chairs), consider weaving a length or two of apple green ribbon through the back of each just for fun.

Well, there you have it. Again, I am so sorry not to be able to say who exactly requested this tablescape. Please step forward and remind this old head, will you? 🙂 It was my distinct pleasure to work this up for you, and I truly hope it lends some inspiration for your summer luncheon. Let me know how it goes!

I am gleefully joining my fellow tablescapers at Susan’s Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Won’t you please join us anytime after 9:00 p.m. this evening?

Have a Happy Easter, everyone!

Pinky Peter Cottontail

April 11, 2011July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 58 Comments

My best friend – a gal whose decorating style might best be described as eclectic – asked me to create a “simple” Easter brunch/luncheon tablescape. Simple, huh? You guys are killin’ me with the “simple” tables!!! I love to load a table up, make it groan under the weight of all the pretty eye candy. Why, oh why must I create a “simple” brunch tablescape??!?!?! It’s just not natural!!!

OK…I’m finished whining now. Without further ado, I present to you a “simple” Easter brunch/luncheon tablescape that, by the way, is pretty cost-effective to duplicate!

The simplicity of this Easter brunch tablescape starts with the repetition of a specific element: Easter bunnies.

I started with a soft pistachio “Spring Meadow” table linen from Bed, Bath & Beyond. It has an almost damask look about it which created a bit of formality without getting too stiff. Each place setting starts with a white ceramic charger, topped with a soft pink napkin to create a color buffer between the charger and the white Corelle entrée plate. The salad/dessert plate is Lenox “Butterfly Meadow – Swallowtail”. A white ceramic floral bowl that will be used for the inevitable fruit compote starter is from Pier 1.

I found these realistic faux chocolate bunnies at Hobby Lobby several years ago. Of course, the real thing will work just as well and serve as a perfect take-home treat for young and old alike.

This is the way it all stacks up.

Because I was tickled with the pink on the centerpiece bunnies, I wanted to play that color up as a predominant accent for this tablescape. This pink tinged stemware works beautifully and dutifully for serving juice and mimosas.

“Danish Princess” silverplate flatware is formal but approachable. A “simple” table doesn’t always have to mean wholly unadorned.

I bought these ceramic egg cups in several different pastel colors last year from Crate & Barrel. They are great for displaying colorful Easter eggs! Here I use eggs that are of the same color and have been decorated alike to add a bit of (repetitive) consistency around the table.

I found these adorable paper hydrangea Easter bunnies at Village Gardens in Blue Springs, MO. I love the pink in their tails and ears!

I created the hefty centerpiece using brilliant pink cyclamen, sinewy Vinca vine, and fun spikes that will later be planted in my flower garden. The flowers, all still in their nursery pots, are nestled into a metal basket and covered with Spanish moss to hide the mechanics. I like the mix of textures and shapes. The flowers in the centerpiece coordinate with those on the buffet.

While the soft pink geraniums (tucked into another green metal basket) and frosty white kalanchoe are not the same flowers used on the table, they readily complement them. Elements that “complement” trump those that strictly “match” any day of the week in my decorating book! Get double use out of these flowers by planting the geraniums in beds or pots outdoors for summer long color. The kalanchoe – available in red, pink, yellow or white – are colorful, highly textural, easy care indoor succulents.

These cute ceramic characters extend the bunny theme from the table to the buffet.

Creamy white pitchers for serving mimosas and juice are tied in with the table bunnies’ pink bows. This ombre ribbon, edged in white, has hues ranging from the deepest pink in the cyclamen to the softest in the napkins. Ribbon is an inexpensive way to extend a color scheme, especially for an Easter table.

So there you have it! A “simple” spring tablescape for an Easter brunch or luncheon that can be easily mimicked with items you may already have at home. As for you, sweet Sheri, you can always borrow it all if you want!

I’m joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch again this week!
Check out what a bunch of talented ladies & gentlemen are up to in the world of tablescaping!

Little Black Dress

April 5, 2011July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 35 Comments

I’m back this week and feeling pretty good now. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to drop me a note of encouragement during my illness. I felt very much loved! And my husband extends his thanks for your patience with him as well. I’m afraid to ask just what that means! 😉

Congratulations once again to the winner of the Mikasa “Daylight” Giveaway, Marlis Bennett of Creative Journeys!!! All the entries were beautiful and creative, and it pained me deeply that only one person could win. But since those were the contest rules, Marlis was awarded the grand prize and I tip my hat to her. Enjoy, Marlis!

This week’s tablescape is in response to Angela who requested help via Facebook with designing a sleek, sophisticated, uncluttered and inexpensive tablescape for entertaining a prospective client. Tall order, Angela! All that and inexpensive??!?!! Well, here ya go…my interpretation of what that might look like.
(Photos taken in low light for dramatic film noir effect!)

I considered what I wear when I’m looking to convey sleek sophistication, and nothing fills that bill like a little black dress! So the table is dressed in a sultry black linen.

Accessories? I usually put on either pearls or understated diamonds and finish off the look with a dramatic slick of juicy red lipstick. There’s my inspiration for this black and red tablescape!

Sleek silver chargers are topped with an inexpensive crystal clear dinner and salad plate (the diamonds) from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Simple and cost effective clear water and wine glasses keep pace with the simplicity of the place setting. (I buy these in bulk from Old Time Pottery and Pier 1.) A simply folded black napkin rests on top of the stack to quietly bring the drama of the black closer to the surface of the tablescape.

Sleek, unadorned J. A. Henckels “Bellaserra” stainless flatware finishes each place setting.

Here’s where that slick of ruby red lipstick comes in: brightly colored tulips submerged in glass spheres, anchored with black river rock. Smaller, similarly shaped votive holders extend the candlelight from the floaters in the floral arrangements. A little river rock is added to the bottom of the votive holders for design consistency. (River rock in various colors can be purchased at craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. The same goes for the glass spheres which can be used for myriad tabletop designs. Both are on sale for 50% off about every 6 weeks, so watch the sale ads and pick up twice as much for the price!) Flowers submerged in glass vases allows for an impressive look without the expense of the numbers needed for full bouquets.

The uncluttered design on the table continues on the buffet surface with just the bare necessities. For as much money as you save on the cool red and black tablescape, you can afford to serve a little caviar during cocktails. Nothing complements a little black dress like caviar and champagne! 😉 (My friend enjoyed this caviar – despite the availability of my well-stocked wine fridge – with a bottle of Yoo-hoo after I photographed it. I’m sorry, but no matter how hard I try I just can’t get with the whole raw fish thing! And to wash it down with a Yoo-hoo is just gross…and weird!!!)

A simply arranged vase of tulips sidles up to a mirrored charger of Mikasa’s leggy “Sophia” tall sherbet glasses.

I picked up these cute linen cocktail napkins at Bombay Company before all the U.S. retail outlets closed. They are perfect for dabbing away the remnants of a sip and a nosh before dinner.

More tablescapes on this site using clear glass globes:
“Autumn Blues“

Well, Angela, this is my take on a slick black tablescape with red accents. While you are planning to use it as a spring tablescape, it would also be great for a fabulous New Year’s Eve tablescape, or any time of year with a quick change of flowers. I hope this helps to get your own table ready for the big night! Good luck to you, and please let me know how it goes!

More tablescapes on this site using tulips:
“Welcome Back, Joel”
“Informally Formal”
“The Bluebird Special”
“Easter Floral”
“Peachy Keen Breakfast Tablescape“

Linking to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch on Wednesday after 9:00 p.m. for Tablescape Thursday! Hope to see you there!

And the Mikasa Daylight China Goes To…

April 1, 2011May 18, 2011 / Alycia Nichols / 9 Comments

You guys did NOT make the process of selecting a winner easy!

There were so many inviting, creative Spring tablescapes crafted with such obvious care. Every single table was a lovely homage to the season. I thank you all for your participation and boundless enthusiasm!

Mikasa "Daylight"

Sadly, there could be only one winner of the fabulous Mikasa “Daylight” gift set, and this time around that very lucky person is:

Marlis Bennett!!!
(Creative Journeys – Welcoming Spring Patio Tablescape Style)

Congratulations to Marlis for her beautifully-crafted Spring tablescape! If you haven’t already seen this Mediterranean-inspired beauty, click here to take a peek! (And for yet another absolutely breathtaking interpretation, click here for a look at Mary’s table using this fabulous pattern!)

HUGE thanks, kudos and kisses to Mikasa for their generosity in sponsoring this incredible giveaway! All of us who appreciate the fine art of dressing a table applaud you for making our job that much easier and that much more fun!

Again, thank you to all who entered! I hope we can do this again sometime soon! You were fabulous contenders!

Mikasa Giveaway

March 29, 2011April 7, 2012 / Alycia Nichols / 29 Comments

My wife has been sick for several days, so I am filling in for her this week.

I know there is at least one guy on here from Tablescape Thursday (Bill?) who she talks about all the time, so I need your support, man. Check in and let me know you’ve got my back. These are uncharted waters for me. I can’t give color commentary like my wife does, so this will be unedited exactly as she wrote it. I’m sure Alycia will be better in time for the big announcement on Friday, and she will be back to her old self and here next week with a new post.

Mikasa "Daylight"

You still have a chance to win this Mikasa “Daylight” gift set!!!!!!!!!
I blogged about it last week and posted photos of two very different settings I created to showcase its wonderful versatility.
Now YOU can win this fabulous 5-pc. place setting for six!!!
It’s TOO easy! Here’s all you have to do:

Leave a comment and become a follower of this blog, Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One. Both current and new followers will be eligible. Scroll to the bottom of this post, or click here to become a follower.
Post photos of your best spring tablescape on the Mikasa Facebook page. Be sure to mention on their Facebook page that you are a part of this fabulous giveaway!!!

The contest for this incredible Mikasa “Daylight” gift set runs through Wednesday, March 30, 2011, 11:59 p.m. (CDT). I will select and announce the winner here on Friday, April 1, 2011. (No foolin’!) The winning tablescape will then be featured here on Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One the following week with a link to your blog! So design & photograph your best spring tablescape, and enter to win!
Hurry…the clock is ticking!!!

I also invite you to stop by and visit all the amazing tablescapes at Susan’s Tablescape Thursday event at Between Naps on the Porch! Lots and lots of very talented tablescapers there!

Mikasa “Daylight” Giveaway!

March 22, 2011July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 80 Comments

This is one of the most exciting posts I have ever created!!! I hope YOU are excited, too, because you have a chance to win a Mikasa “Daylight” gift set!!!!!!!!! It is just TOO pretty….I fell in love with it the moment I saw it!

First, the business end of the giveaway. Rules for your chance to enter and win are:

Leave a comment and become a follower of this blog, Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One. Both current and new followers will be eligible. Scroll to the bottom of this post, or click here to become a follower.
Post photos of your best spring tablescape on the Mikasa Facebook page. Be sure to mention on their Facebook page that you are a part of this fabulous giveaway!!!

That’s it! That’s all! It’s just that easy!!! The contest for this beautiful Mikasa “Daylight” gift set starts right now and runs through March 30, 2011, 11:59 p.m. I will select and announce the very lucky winner here on Friday, April 1, 2011. (Wouldn’t it be nice to get a GOOD April Fool’s Day surprise for once?!!) The winning table will then be featured here on Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One the following week with a link to your blog! So put your creative thinking cap on, pull out all the stops, design & photograph your best spring tablescape, and enter to win! I can’t wait to see all the fabulous entries!!!

Now…pictures of not one, but TWO very different set ups I created using this incredibly versatile pattern.

DESIGN #1

The first design pairs the apple green found in the dishes with lucious purple, and it is suitable for breakfast, brunch or a spring luncheon.

On a crisp white table linen, I started with a Pier 1 “Natural Flower” placemat and a plain white porcelain charger. While my chargers look great with this ensemble, Mikasa has a fabulous charger in the”Daylight” pattern that would look even better! Atop the charger is the “Daylight” dinner plate.

The final layered piece is the “Daylight” soup bowl. Off-centering the bowl allows you to show off the design on both pieces. Simple glassware and flatware lets the dishes be the star. (Mikasa has crystal glasses in this pattern, though, that would really make your table special!!! Their “French Countryside” or Wallace “Butterfly” flatware – both available through Mikasa.com – would be a hit here, too!)

My husband insisted that the table needed place cards, so I fashioned these using plain white tent cards to which I added a leaf design and piece of natural twig to complement the dishware. OK, Ramon…you were right again! Whatever, man! 🙂

It’s officially spring according to the calendar, but it’s still a bit chilly out. To bring nature in, the centerpiece contains lots of outdoorsy elements including a weathered metal birdcage filled with spring flowers from the nursery. When the weather warms a bit, I’ll plant the flowers in containers on the porch (if I can keep them alive that long!). A Hobby Lobby grapevine wreath on a Pier 1 iron stand adds further texture, color and dimension to the display.

I bought this cool clear gazing ball at Z Gallerie last year.

A pair of these pretty white birds were a recent purchase from Michael’s.

African violets in white ceramic pots anchor the ends of the entire centerpiece.

Bells of Ireland from St. Patrick’s Day are still thriving, and they go very well with this color motif. Pots of chartreuse pothos would also be an excellent choice.

The salad/dessert plates and cup & saucer sets are magnificent! The saucer color just blows me away!

There are many, many additional tabletop and serving pieces in the “Daylight” collection. You can bet your bottom dollar I will have several on my birthday and Christmas wish lists!

DESIGN #2
The second look I put together is geared toward the dinner hour to show, in the Mikasa website’s own words, how the “Daylight” pattern is “perfect for casual and formal entertaining alike.” The Asian influence created here was suggested by my stepdaughter in a moment of creative clarity while working on her chemistry homework. Thank you for the suggestion, Robyn!

This is a much simpler, pared down look that really gives the dishes the starring role.

In many Asian cultures, drinks are not often served with meals. Therefore, I decided to forego stemware for this setting. Starting again with a white table linen, I topped that with a bamboo placemat. Notice how the placemats are turned vertically to hang off the table for the side guests and horizontally for the end guests. This was just a measure for added visual interest on my part. The same white porcelain charger from the first setting was used although, again, the apple green of the “Daylight” charger would look even better. Here I imagined a meal served teppanyaki style (a la Benihana) with a salad, soup (served from the buffet in back), and then the grilled entreé.

Chopsticks are traditionally and correctly placed to the right of the dishes on a chopstick rest, but I liked them here on the edge of the plate instead. For those who have not yet mastered chopsticks, Mikasa’s “Rockford” stainless flatware is the perfect substitute!

I used plain white cotton napkins, folded to resemble a Japanese obi (sash). A fortune cookie rests atop each napkin. According to Wikipedia, “fortune cookies have been summarized as being ‘introduced by the Japanese, popularized by the Chinese, but ultimately they are consumed by Americans.'”

I wanted the centerpiece to convey a feeling of tranquility and simplicity. A bamboo tray lined with smooth river rock and neat rows of square votive cups is my version of that. Tall square vases filled with blooming cherry blossom branches flank the lighted piece with a few additional votives placed on each end.

The tranquil Asian theme is carried over to the buffet. A matching bamboo tray holds cups and saucers ready for tea after dinner. A neat stack of soup bowls with Pier 1 miso spoons awaits a healthy portion of egg drop or sweet and sour soup. (If you want to go more authentic, Mikasa has a beautiful 10 oz. rice bowl in the “Daylight” pattern!!! There is also a fabulous 20 oz. rice bowl for serving!) The teapot shown here is from Pier 1, but…you guessed it!…Mikasa has a stunning tea pot in this gorgeous leafy pattern! (On my wish list, Ramon!)

So….that was a lot of pictures!!! I hope you were able to get a little inspiration from these diverse settings. I will feature other table settings using the “Daylight” pattern in future posts when I can finally get outside in the fresh air!

Remember…to enter: just leave a comment and subscribe to follow this site below, then hustle on over to Mikasa’s Facebook page to “Like” Mikasa and post your most enlightened spring tablescape! I will announce the winner on this blog (no fooling!) on April 1! Happy tablescaping, and good luck!

Last, but not least, I’m linking to Susan’s Tablescape Thursday again this week!
Join us, won’t you?

Blushing Bridal Shower

March 16, 2011July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 53 Comments

I want to say a great big THANK YOU to all of the people who have sent emails requesting specific ideas for upcoming events! While I’m not able to do pictorials on each and every one, I hope the emails and photos I’m able to send to you are of help. Keep ’em comin’! Right now is a great time since our personal social calendar has slowed a bit!

Meanwhile, I have created a very special idea table for a very special occasion. In honor of the blushing bride, her maid-of-honor requested ideas for a do-it-yourself table that could easily work with the existing dinnerware and other set-up items provided by the venue. To get an idea of what that could look like, I set up a tablescape depicting an easy DIY pink and white wedding shower/luncheon. A huge shout out to Cindy King at The Stanley Historic Event Space in downtown Lee’s Summit, Mo., for allowing us to come in and use her beautiful space for our demo table.

Photo by Sheri L. Grant

The maid-of-honor wants all 24 guests to sit at a single table, so we put two 6-ft. tables end-to-end and draped them with floor length white linens. This demonstration seats 12, so simply double it. I recommend the use of floor length linens whenever possible for “dressy” events. When entertaining at home, you can get away with lap length, although it’s nice to go all the way to the floor if you can. Affordable floor length linens in many colors and sizes can be purchased at online stores such as Linen Tablecloth.com. (Beware, though…the customer service at LinenTablecloth.com sucks!)

Like The Stanley, many venues have soaring ceilings. Unlike The Stanley, however, not all venues’ ceilings look the greatest. To “fill up the dead space” without overwhelming the table, try using a tall, airy centerpiece as demonstrated in these 20″H white glass vases. So as not to deliberately draw attention to the unattractive ceiling, though, do not exceed half the height to the ceiling for your centerpiece. The idea is to psychologically cut the eye’s interest off at the top of the arrangement. Using branches like fresh curly willow, which is both popular and easily obtained, keeps the look light and see-through. (Another example of this is seen here.) This is also a good place to add touches of the prevailing color. Again, a few branches with blooms dispersed amongst the curly willow will easily and inexpensively achieve that goal. You’ll also want to bring color closer to the table which can be achieved by using smaller vases of the same color with compact bouquets. In this instance, we used pink sweetheart roses.

Photo by Sheri L. Grant

If your venue has windows, carry the flavor of the table to those windows with additional bouquets. Depending on the look you want, use either short and compact bouquets as shown above to achieve this more demure look or, for a more dramatic feel, taller arrangements that have the same wispiness as the tall ones on the table. Displaying arrangements in the windows gives guests a little hint of what’s to come as they approach the building. Just be careful not to totally obscure the view. That’s part of the charm and attraction of a room with a view!

Photo by Sheri L. Grant

For a clean, classic look, it’s all about repetition. With this particular look, everything must be lined up perfectly so that photos present the table in its best light. See here about measuring.

Photo by Sheri L. Grant

Most venues provide as a part of their package either round or oblong dining tables with basic white, black or ivory linens. Not all venues provide floor length as a standard, but can provide them with an upcharge. White plates – usually round, but sometimes square in these modern times – are also a staple, as is plain flatware. To make the most of it, work with the colors provided by adding lots of a complementary color of your choice. Here, pink is the bride’s signature color. It is repeated in the florals, the napkins (for which a nominal upcharge of about $1.50 would likely be applied), and the menus for maximum punch. The napkin fold here is kept simple, across the plate and uniformly dropping over the side. Although this fold is simple, a ladies’ luncheon is the perfect time to experiment with fun or lavish styles.

Photo by Sheri L. Grant

Standard clear glass stemware is also a staple at most venues. Not to despair…as long as it has a classic shape, it will have plenty of appeal!

Photo by Sheri L. Grant

The oblong table used by most venues are only 30″ wide, so space is at a premium. To make the most of the available real estate, try combining your menu and place card as seen above and place it on the plate. DIYers can create something on your home computer or use pre-made note cards. The pink floral theme is continued on the front of this card in the shape of a heart.

Photo by Sheri L. Grant

To avoid monotony, add an unexpected but coordinating color in either tiny bits or in one big wallop. Here, a cake plate stacked high with bright green Granny Smith apples in the dead center of the table does the trick. Decorating with fruit is an easy and cost effective way to add color, texture and contrasting shapes to your tablescape.

I hope this helps! Pink and white wedding decor is my all-time favorite, so this was fun to do. Best wishes for a magnificent bridal shower! More tablescapes using curly willow on this site:
“Copper Zen”
“Welcome Back, Joel”
“Autumn Blues“

Upscale Irish

March 13, 2011February 8, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 50 Comments

I have a confession to make: I’m not Irish. What….this surprises you?!??!!! OK, every year I share a little corn beef & cabbage with friends of Irish descent, try with absolutely no luck to learn an Irish jig, and sometimes even put on a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” t-shirt (mostly just for the smooches from my husband!). But that’s all part of the fun. Like they say, “On St. Patrick’s Day, everybody’s Irish!” Well, this year I have been challenged to dig a little deeper. A lady who prefers to remain nameless here wrote to me via Facebook asking if I could help her with ideas for “an elegant, upscale St. Patrick’s Day dinner party.” Hmmmmm….elegant and St. Patrick’s Day. Not two terms you usually hear in the same sentence. Here’s the trick to it: Ms. Anonymous is of Irish descent and entertaining her non-Irish future in-laws at her home for the very first time. The in-laws, as I understand it, are a bit…shall we say…reserved. The mere mention of green beer would send them into a tailspin! So, the challenge was to come up with a table that could demonstrate pride in her heritage (after all, the futures did insist that the 17th was the only day they could meet for dinner while in town!) but still embrace the formality the occasion will demand. After nearly 10 days of wracking my little pea brain for ideas, my friend Jim Mooney – owner of Midwest Embroidery (who, by the way, is the most fabulous fabric guy in the world!) – randomly sent me an email with gorgeous images of the Emerald Isle. The photos took my breath away. Further, they inspired me – along with the hauntingly beautiful strains of Garth Brooks’s “Ireland” playing over and over – to create the tablescape that I hope will help Ms. Anonymous win points with her future in-laws. Thanks, Jim! And here we go!

The mood is set for a lovely evening with festive traditional touches including the color that best represents the so-called Emerald Isle: emerald green, of course!

When I think of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day, I think of a lot of gold alongside the green. On a crisp, white linen I stacked a gold leafed glass charger and an American Atelier “Florentine Gold Scroll” dinner and salad plate. To top it off, emerald green-stemmed dessert bowls from Old Time Pottery.

These Pier 1 wine glasses with clear stems supporting an emerald green bowl seemed a perfect representation of the occasion’s prevailing color. The gold design around the rim is similar to that around the china. I bought these stems at the same time I bought these that I used for one of my Mardi Gras tables this year.

Starched white cotton napkins are closely hugged by these gold and green “Rock Spray” napkin rings from Pier 1.

The center of the table is adorned with tall gold candlesticks alternated with simple free-flowing bouquets of Bells of Ireland and orchids. I considered pots of shamrock, but decided on this airy floral combination instead because of the height and tinge of sophistication it lends. Ms. Anonymous, you may want to go with slightly fuller arrangements since you are seating for 8 and have a larger table.

My husband actually suggested that I use these emerald green votives in place of the gold mercury glass ones I had selected. Good goin’, Ramon! It really does work better! Your eye for this stuff is kinda starting to scare me, dude! 😉 I picked these votives up at Old Time Pottery last year.

After dinner, I suggest a digestif of Bailey’s Irish Cream. It can be served in tiny glasses such as these, or in rocks glasses (Irish crystal, of course!) over ice. Single-serve bottles of Bailey’s adorned with a green ribbon make a great favor for each guest!

OK….so this is my version of “Upscale Irish” for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner party. Ms. Anonymous, I hope you will be able to glean something useful from it, and I wish you much success with your dinner party! Thanks for the challenge…it was a doozy!

Other posts on this site with tables suitable for St. Patrick’s Day:

“Apple Green Luncheon“
“Moss & Manzanitas“
“Ready for My Close-Up, Mr. DeMille“
“Rolling Fields of Green”

I am joining Cuisine Kathleen’s St. Patrick’s Day Blog Crawl on March 15th. Just click the banner below to check out what some other very talented tablescapers are doing to celebrate the wearin’ o’ the green!

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“Ireland”
lyrics by Stephanie Davis, Jenny Yates, Garth Brooks

They say mother earth is breathing
With each wave that finds the shore
Her soul rises in the evening
For to open twilight’s door
Her eyes are the stars in heaven
Watching o’er us all the while
And her heart it is in Ireland
Deep within the Emerald Isle.

We are forty against hundreds
In someone else’s bloody war
We know not why we’re fighting
Or what we’re dying for
They will storm us in the morning
When the sunlight turns to sky
Death is waiting for its dance now
Fate has sentenced us to die.

(chorus)
Ireland I am coming home
I can see your rolling fields of green
And fences made of stone.
I am reaching out won’t you take my hand
I’m coming home Ireland.

Oh the captain he lay bleeding
I can hear him calling me
“These men are yours now for the leading
Show them to their destiny ”
And as I look up all around me
I see the ragged tired and torn
I tell them to make ready
‘Cause we’re not waiting for the morn.

Ireland I am coming home
I can see your rolling fields of green
And fences made of stone.
I am reaching out won’t you take my hand
I’m coming home Ireland.

Now the fog is deep and heavy
As we forge the dark and fear
We can hear their horses breathing
As in silence we draw near
There are no words to be spoken
Just a look to say good-bye
I draw a breath and night is broken
As I scream our battle cry.

Ireland I am coming home
I can see your rolling fields of green
And fences made of stone.
I am reaching out won’t you take my hand
I’m coming home Ireland.

Yes I am home Ireland

We Were Forty Against Hundreds…..