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

December 14, 2020December 23, 2020 / Alycia Nichols / 24 Comments

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

DESIGN INSPIRATION:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Better Late Than Never, Pt. 3 – Christmas 2016 in the Family Room

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 17 Comments

As we count down to Christmas 2017, here is the 3rd of 4 separate posts revealing my 2016 Christmas decor in the family room and basement level. Yes…that late. Poor, pitiful, pathetic, tired ol’ me is just getting around to it! (If you missed them, you can see installments 1 and 2 here and here.)

Say goodbye to this furniture because it’s the last time you’ll see it! We bought reclining leather seating this past summer that is kinder to my spine. Hooray!

Our fireplace is the focal point of the room despite my husband’s insistence on having a television the size of Montana in the family room. In 2016 I decorated it with lots of faux greenery with sprigs of fresh stuck in here and there, pine cones, red ornaments and berries. Black iron candlesticks with black candles flank the wreath on the mantel, while tall black lanterns rest on the hearth.

I embellished a lot of the existing decor with faux greenery and red berries. Deer sheds (antlers) placed in or around white ironstone bowls with berry embellishment gives the bookshelves a festive, outdoorsy look. A white ironstone platter from Home Goods is lightly adorned with Christmas greenery, pine cones and berries. Something as simple as plopping a sprig of bright berries and a bit of evergreen into a tiny vase changes the whole look of the shelf with the candlesticks. (That’s my hubby’s Air Force graduation photo. He was such a little cutie…looked like a 12-year-old!)

I like to give the family room a fun look that reflects our casual, relaxed lifestyle as a fun-loving couple. Another set of plush animals rests on a miniature park bench beside the hearth. (Other plush animals were beneath the tree in the library as seen here.) Check out how protective he is of her…like Ramon is with me! A lighthearted Mr. & Mrs. Claus lumbar pillow is tossed on the sofa.

Thought I’d better throw this in. We pushed aside the furniture and had dinner for 12 in here one night. I was not feeling well (still recovering from 2 back-to-back major surgeries) but had to do something quick and easy to install and dismantle. Plain black full-length tablecloths with my beloved 222 Fifth “Holiday Wishes” dishes covered in cardinals, pine cones and poinsettias, black napkins cinched with jingle bell napkin rings, gold flatware, and English crackers that we had a ball with after dinner. The centerpiece of gold vases topped with oversized red ornaments, miniature Christmas trees, and black wrought iron candlesticks to match those on the mantel was anchored by a length of flannel plaid ribbon.

Through the family room door and down the basement stairs is a table with a trio of decorated miniature trees that reflect back in the mirrors above. (I wish these photos were better. This was really just so pretty at night!!!) Standing among the trees is a pair of Father Christmas figurines and gold reindeer.

A red painted wood open shadow box from Home Goods holds a menagerie of Christmas-related items including miniature antlers, pine cones, a metal wreath, and jingle bells. (Sorry…the lighting absolutely sucks down here in this basement, and no amount of editing can fix it!)

We have this weird ledge that runs the length of the south wall beneath the basement windows that really serves no practical purpose. I decided to spruce it up by creating this scene with Santa in a golden sleigh with reindeer moored in a snowy thicket. In hindsight, I should have raised each reindeer on graduated clear acrylic risers to simulate flight. Oh well…next time!

The final chapter of our 2016 Christmas decor will roll out in a couple of days. After that, nothing but 2017…I promise!!!

If you’d like to find more inspiration on this site for your Christmas decorating, type in “Christmas” in the category drop-down box on the sidebar to the right.

I’ll be joining Susan and the rest of the gang for Tablescape Thursday again this week. Drop on by to get inspired by some very talented tablescapers and designers!!!

Better Late Than Never, Pt. II – Christmas 2016 in the Dining Room

November 27, 2017November 28, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 23 Comments

This is Installment #2 of 4 from a very late reveal of Christmas decor around our home in 2016. The first installment peeped around the entry hall and library. This time we move into the dining room.

I like to use black in Christmas decorating because it’s a wonderful neutral that really showcases gemstone colors and brilliant metals. I draped this table with a 90″x132″ black diamond pintuck tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com that skims the floor.

The centerpiece is a flat woven basket from Tuesday Morning filled with mounds of red and gold glass ornaments in varying sizes to lend depth and dimension. Frolicking amidst the ornaments are two playful gold reindeer with beaded antlers from Pier 1. (The ones they’re selling this year are similar to these, but cooler with little red scarves!) A smattering of gold mercury glass chargers complete the centerpiece.

Gold glass chargers sit beneath Ciroa gold-rimmed black & white buffalo check bone china dinner plates. Austere white cotton napkins are cinched with ornamental red berry picks from Hobby Lobby twisted to create a napkin ring. (I used this same technique for “Christmas Progressive Dinner” on a much different table.) The pattern of the Longchamps crystal complements that of the dinner plates. A red and gold English cracker is set alongside each place setting for fun after dinner. (Our family has TOO MUCH fun with them!)

On the buffet behind the dining table is another flat basket loaded with spirits for guests to help themselves at will. A creamy white ironstone pitcher filled with red berry picks from Hobby Lobby (the same as used for the napkin rings) dresses it up a bit. On each side are painted gold manzanita “trees” from LinenTablecloth.com that I ordered on a whim. (“On a whim” means when I was taking medication that had me doing weird things that I don’t even remember doing!!! Still…not a bad purchase!) In front of those sit shiny red mercury glass lidded canisters clad in black & white gingham ribbon bows. The gilded bay leaf wreath on the mirror is uplit at night.

The tea/bar cart is ready to serve after dinner coffee and/or libations by way of a Grace’s Teaware white lattice coffee set accented with Ciroa plates on a silver tiered stand. A metal champagne bucket from Home Goods brims with gold glass ornaments.

The wood & metal sconces hold more of the Ciroa plates with a shiny red ornament hoisted in front to draw the eye up.

The china cabinet in the opposite corner of the room is topped with more metal wine/champagne cooling vessels. The center one is filled to capacity with bright red glass ornaments to complement the table centerpiece.

Finally, the skinny tree in the window with a fun stovepipe hat topper! (See another tree topped with a stovepipe hat at Christmas 2012 – Red, Black & Silver.) A load of ornaments on the tree include more stovepipe hats (Dollar Tree), red lanterns (Walmart), red berry picks (Hobby Lobby), frosted pine cones and acrylic snowflakes, grinning snowmen and twists of black & white check ribbon. (Other tablescapes using these snowmen are Black, White & Red All Over Christmas Tablescape, Checkered Christmas, and Frosty the Snowman.) Beneath the tree are piles of snowflakes, snowballs, and baskets of pine cones with black lanterns lit up for the season.

That about does it for the 2016 dining room. I’ll be back in a couple of days with pics from the family room that I hope you’ll enjoy. Meanwhile, there is LOTS of other Christmas inspiration on this site. Just type in the word Christmas under Categories on the right-hand sidebar to hit the jackpot!

I’ll be joining Susan later this week for Tablescape Thursday as well as Sandra & Chloe for Celebrate Your Story and Linda for her Dishing It & Digging It Link Party! Come on along and get inspired!!!

Timberland Christmas – 2014 Decor Around the House

December 19, 2014December 20, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 54 Comments

WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE SEND ME A NEW BACK FOR CHRISTMAS??!??!?!
I have been battling this continuing degenerative disc problem and am now back on a walker with nerve damage. I’ve had an MRI and am scheduled for both an EMG and a myelogram on Monday, then scheduled to follow up with the neurosurgeon on Tuesday. I hope to have surgery either before Christmas or right after so that I can (I hope!) finally get some relief and throw this walker out a window. Ramon has been an absolute angel through these recent days of debilitating pain, and he not only helped with the decorating process (all done before Thanksgiving Day!!!), but the photography. We waited around for a sunny day to make an appearance, but it never did so some of the photos are “iffy.” Three weeks without any real sunshine!!! 😦 Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!
(Click on any photo, then click again to enhance/enlarge it.)

Welcome to the Nichols’ household! The bright KC Chiefs – cum – Christmas red door and simple oversized grapevine wreath with a burlap bow, greenery and jingle bells set the tone for a rustic woodland look (mixed with a little glam!) throughout.

First stop…the library with lots of twinkling white lights. The 4-ft. tree is filled with baby owls, frosted pine cones, jute ribbon, clusters of red berries, and miniature logs from Michael’s that remind us what the season is about. It’s all topped off with a homemade burlap bow and burlap ribbon that meanders throughout the tree. (More on that new & improved photo gallery wall coming up in January!)

The top of the secretary has a frosted pine cone-smattered wreath and a generous garland of red berries. Notice the owl inside the wreath. The owls are one of the ongoing themes throughout the house this year.

On the other side of the room, urns on both sides of the vitrine are dressed up with lighted wreaths and a grapevine sphere. The vitrine bar is dressed in lighted greenery with pine cones and red berry clusters. As we leave the library, there are clear glass cylinders filled with acorns and pine cones sharing space with cigars and brandy on the vintage side table.

What does the fox say? This time of year, a heartfelt “I love you!” This bench sits on the side of the front door closest to the library.

Look up the steps to find an easy arrangement of bark-wrapped cylinders filled with red ornaments and jingle bells.

On the other side of the front door is a vintage double-decker telephone stand with a large lantern topped with snow-flecked greenery, another homemade burlap bow and gold jingle bells tumbling down the side with jute. The lower tier holds a tiny duck on a slab of wood with a little icy greenery. Let’s move on into the dining room!

The 7-ft. skinny tree in the dining room window (purchased at a local grocery store in the floral department at after-Christmas clearance for under $25!!!) is filled with woodland creatures from Pier 1, gold ornaments, “Naughty” and “Nice” wood slabs from Home Goods, multi-colored berry clusters, mini grapevine wreaths, frosted pine cones, lots of burlap, and a diminutive pheasant feather topper. The tree is finished off with a tangle of natural grapevine to add to the whole 3-D look. With the exception of the bow on top, the garland is one continuous piece. By next year I hope to be in better health so I can create a video tutorial on just how to do that.

The centerpiece on the dining table is made with lots of greenery, and a metal French-styled champagne bucket from Home Goods filled with pine cones. It is flanked by 12-point resin bucks from Tuesday Morning.

Additional dining room decor includes a weathered sign with watchwords for the season from Michael’s, my personal valet Geoffrey begrudgingly decked out in a Charming Charlie woolen scarf and Dollar Tree reindeer ears, the bar cart with bark-wrapped cylinders topped with reindeer moss and oversized faux acorns cut from an old garland, and a lighted wreath I made a few years ago to put in our master bedroom. This year the wreath was treated to additional ornaments wired in (for life!) and another owl. In front is a wooden Hobby Lobby “Merry and Bright” sign that speaks to the season.

Let’s head back out into the hallway.

I’ve switched out the artwork on the wall for a gold mirror and put a ceramic reindeer head dressed in burlap and red organza ribbon with a gold ornament over it. On the other side of the hall is the foyer table adorned on top with a gilded vase filled with pheasant feathers, a small wreath to light the way, and old books from an estate sale tied up with a burlap bow, berries, greenery and pheasant feathers. Beneath the table is a basket filled with pine cones, twinkle lights and clusters of berries.

Let’s go on into the family room!

My husband spends a lot of time watching TV and working on charts in our cozy little family room, so I wanted this space to have a nice rustic feel for him. Of course, there’s a little glam thrown in for me! 🙂 In this room are lots of burlap-tied books and another wreath with an owl in the window. The fireplace is one of my favorites. I hung felt stockings with a moose-in-the-forest motif and then slung a chipwood initial over each one (all from Hobby Lobby). A wooden santa stands guard over the plain brown paper & jute-wrapped gifts. My very favorite part: a stump salvaged from a miraculously still-healthy limb of an 150-year-old tree we lost this summer to carpenter ants. (See collage above!) I surrounded the bottom with cotton snow and plopped a hungry squirrel hoarding acorns on top.

Alycia Nichols, Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One, www.tabletwentyone.wordpress.com, ”Timberland Christmas – 2014 Christmas Décor: broken 18th century golfers

This is how they looked when I first brought them home.

This is another favorite part of the room because of the creative solutions applied. My Mom bought me a couple of resin 18th century golfers missing their clubs on the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby this past summer. (See thumbnail of the “Before” above.) Making lemonade out of lemons is a specialty of mine…I just gave them weathered wooden sleds instead! It looks as if they were made to haul their Christmas trees instead of taking a golf swing! To put them in more of the Christmas mood, I added a woolen scarf to one and hot-glued a little greenery, a tiny pine cone and some berries to the top hat of the other. Not bad for a $5 investment, huh?

The fireplace mantel is simply dressed in a little pine greenery with white lights in front of the mirror. I kept the whole initial thing going on our stockings with the big red “N” from Hobby Lobby that represents our last name. On the television armoire is more greenery garland with pine cones embellished with natural deer sheds.

Our Christmas tree in the family room is loaded with lots of woodland creatures (mostly from Pier 1) including squirrels, owls, gophers (“Caddyshack” anyone? 😉 ), porcupines, flocked deer, and sequined pheasants disguised as peacocks for the season. Other trimming includes snow-covered pine trees (Dollar Tree), frosted pine cones, antlers (Wal-Mart), jingle bells, hobbit Santas, lanterns (Wal-Mart), miniature grapevine wreaths, various sizes of gold ball ornaments, clusters of white berries, and burlap ribbon. The tree is topped with lots of pheasant feathers and a homemade bow with its tendrils intermittently tied in love knots for a different look. The luxurious fringed tree skirt is from TJ Maxx.

Moving on to the kitchen…

The pantry/desk area has a few little goodies to bring it up to par for the Christmas season. I didn’t change a lot here…just added the white Z Gallerie squirrel nut bowls filled with acorns, a few clusters of red berries, and a stack of Southern Living Cookbooks collected over the years.

Other kitchen decor includes the Hobby Lobby resin rooster with a fancy necktie of icy berries and lady apples. On the breakfast bar is a tall black lantern filled with berry garland and pine cones with a homemade burlap ribbon on the handle. Behind the kitchen sink is a wooden box (previously seen HERE as part of the centerpiece in an autumn tablescape) filled with 3 lighted miniature faux pine trees, Spanish moss and shiny red jingle bells. It looks great from the street and really lights up that corner of the room!

In the eat-in area, are a duo of lighted trees in black urns tied off with burlap and wool tartan ribbon and embellished with shiny red jingle bell napkin rings doubling as ornaments. In the window is another lighted wreath with an owl coyly peeking out from the center. I used a red velvet cord cover to disguise the unsightly cord in the center. The same tartan ribbon used on the urns is used at the top of the wreath.

Before heading downstairs for the last leg of the tour, I thought you might like to see the burlap wreath designed by Kelly Acock, owner of The Monarch Flower Company, finished off with red velvet ribbon and ornaments.

And FINALLY down to the basement level!!!

At the base of the steps is a vignette of 3 lighted trees festooned in a garland of red berries, another pair of ice skates (found at a thrift store!), and a vintage Royal Racer sled (circa 1952) I found at a flea market earlier this year. Regular readers may recognize the tartan ribbon & pine bough arrangement featured here from the post “Tartan on the Tee” earlier this season.

With a small family room like we have upstairs, it’s often necessary to shuffle furniture around during the Christmas season. This chair found its way to the lower level. I used a partridge-covered throw from TJ Maxx and a cute plush reindeer couple from Home Goods to dress it up a little. On top of the bookcase is a winter goose sitting amidst snow-kissed lighted faux pine branches and finished off with a tartan bow with spiraled tendrils. Sitting in the bookcase is a miniature sled with antler feet found at a thrift store.

Over on the other side of the room is the bar. I placed a red Waechtersbach bowl of candy on the bar accompanied by a trio of Ugly Christmas Sweater (Tuesday Morning) carolers. Notice the 2 on the sides have their “arms” crossed over the back of the center caroler. I used a pearl-head pin to set that up. Looks like they’re really in the loving spirit of the season!

And FINALLY…

Other vignettes around the room include a wine bottle in a Mrs. Santa suit (Tuesday Morning) standing over a bowl of corks and a gingerbread-scented candle, wine butlers holding more Ugly Christmas Sweater carolers, and a fun plush Santa door hanger picked up at an estate sale over the summer.

As I said, I am hoping to have back surgery before the end of the year, so I won’t be doing a New Year’s Eve post this year. I will try to slip in one last Christmas tablescape before it’s all said and done for this year. My time on the computer will become more and more limited, but I will be thinking of you and wishing you all the very best of the Christmas season and a very safe, happy and fun New Year! I have no Get Out of Jail Free cards left over to offer, so PLEASE be good! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Other Christmas Home Tour posts on this site from years past:
Waking Up to Christmas – Master Bedroom Decor
Christmas Decor 2013
Christmas 2012

Christmas tablescapes on this site:
Cardinal Christmas
Christmas in the Woods
Tartan on the Tee
Confectionery Christmas
Christmas Progressive Dinner
Black, White & Red All Over
Frosty the Snowman
Checkered Christmas
March of the Penguins
Woodland Men’s Tablescape
Contemporary Christmas – Fire & Ice
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
Black Friday Luncheon Tablescape
Winter Dinner
Christmas Through the Red Door
Sugar High
Celebrating the Season
Roman Holiday
Winter Cardinal
Merry & Bright
Kaleidoscope Christmas
Cranberry Christmas
Cranberry Christmas – Squared
Get Me to The Church On Time
Noel Progressive Dinner
Christmas Fiesta
Warm Metal Christmas
Christmas Coffee
Winter Brunch
White Hot
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Progressive Dinner
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
Tuscan Holiday

And if you’re looking for ideas for ringing in the New Year:
Life is a Cabaret
Platinum New Year’s Eve
Ringing In the New Year
Hooray For Vodka!
White Hot

Linking up this week with Between Naps on the Porch

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year, all!!!

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Progressive Dinner

December 24, 2013December 24, 2013 / Alycia Nichols / 32 Comments

It’s the night before Christmas, and I’m late getting photos of our 2013 Christmas decor and annual cul-de-sac Progressive Dinner posted! Very little chit-chat tonight. I hope all your stockings are hung and that you are ready to just coast from here on out!
(Click on any photo and then click again to enhance/enlarge it and see details up close.)

Every Christmas season several of the households on our cul-de-sac get together for a progressive dinner. It’s a chance to get together one last time before the bitter cold of January chases us all indoors, to share good food, and to check out everyone’s holiday decor. I wanted my neighbors to really enjoy the ambience during the entree portion of the dinner at our house, so I got busy!

I didn’t do a lot with the front entry door this year, nor did we put lights up outside. Next year when I’ve fully recovered, we’ll go all out again! Still, guests were greeted with a cheery wreath with our monogram.

Our library, to the immediate right as you enter our home, took on a very rustic look this year. I started the look when teaching my “Art of Tablescaping” class in that room, so after taking the table down I just embellished the existing decor with even more natural elements like huge moss balls on the urns flanking the vitrine, wood slices, whittled pencils, burlap and twine. To see that “Woodland Christmas” tablescape and read more about the design elements, click HERE.

On the chest at the top of the stairs is an arrangement I created in a mercury glass pilsner vase using faux greenery and orchids with an LED uplight to show it off. Really dramatic look when standing at the foot of the steps!

Back down the stairs and into the entryway is a decorated wreath over the mirror. Lots of LED candles grace the space beneath the wreath, proclaiming it all to be “Merry & Bright”. Notice the ivory “scrunchie” that covers the electric cord. Very clever way to hide it! (I invested in about a dozen of these in several colors at Hobby Lobby about 10 years ago.)

Every room has a very different theme, and this one is full of bright, cheerful color! I used many of these same elements to create 3 very different tablescapes for my “Art of Tablescaping” class. You can check them out HERE, HERE and HERE. After clearing the tablescapes and adding a few more fun pieces, this room is declared the Fun Zone! I won the wreath at the base of the mirror at a White Elephant party a couple of weeks ago, and it fit right in!

The brightly colored tree in the dining room has a Nativity scene beneath it. As we go back into the hallway, the table by the front door is decked out with a fun wreath and a huge LED candle. Let’s head to the living room…

We’ve moved furniture and made space in the living room for our Progressive Dinner tables. This year’s theme in this room is cardinals and reindeer. An additional theme of snowflakes was added for the dinner. The tables are covered with red full-length round tablecloths from LinenTablecloth.com. I recently purchased some ballroom chairs for events at home such as this, and they work out perfectly with cool white Spandex chair covers with contrasting red Spandex sashes, also from LinenTablecloth.com. (I LOVE these because they’re super affordable AND I don’t have to iron them!!!) This is a buffet dinner, so huge white acrylic snowflakes work as “chargers” at each place setting. LinenTablecloth.com red 20″ napkins are neatly folded into reindeer napkin rings purchased on clearance at Target last year. The centerpiece is a simple faux greenery wreath with meandering red ribbon, pine cones and red berries with a trio of LED candles (for safety!) in the center.

I created this arrangement in the window behind the kitchen sink on a moment’s notice. I wanted something really dramatic for the window that could be seen from outside. I simply entwined a curvy wrought iron candlestick with faux greenery, red berry vine and red lights. I made sure to drape the vine across the countertop for a more dramatic look.

Guests served themselves from a buffet in the kitchen. On the menu: a choice of Chicken Tortilla soup, Chicken & Wild Rice soup, or Chili along with nice, warm bread and iced tea. The fun red & white snowflake soup bowls and mugs are from Dollar Tree (yes…Dollar Tree!), and the snowy white ramekins – for those who preferred a “flight” of soups – are from Pier 1.

The fireplace mantel is heavily decorated with faux greenery, holly, red berries, pine cones, glass ornaments and cardinals. Reindeer stocking holders (Pier 1 clearance) on each end hold ornate red & gold silk stockings. Small trees in black urns flank the fireplace hearth.

These two lovey-dovey mice all dressed up in their Christmas finery are new. I saw them at T.J. Maxx and just fell in love with them. Their names? Ramon & Alycia, of course!!! 🙂

We have lots of black elements in the living room, so I played that up with black velvet pillows behind red silk ones with gossamer gold ribbon. The luxuriously soft throw is from T.J. Maxx. My bold gold reindeer make another appearance this year in different areas of the living room. (To see these reindeer used in other Christmas settings, click HERE and HERE.) On the table behind the sofa, a large red ornament rests above lots of lighted greenery and pine cones.

This year’s main tree is dressed in lots of red & gold ornaments including cardinals, musical notes, poinsettias and stockings. The tree is flanked by the two larger gold reindeer wearing sparkling wreaths around their necks. Gifts beneath the tree are all wrapped in colors that reflect the room’s color scheme.

The television armoire across the room always gets a little treat, too. This year the decor mirrors that of the mantel with a huge red ornament (just like the one on the sofa table) rising up like a phoenix from behind.

All very different looks throughout the house. My mind was just going in a million different directions, and I just let the decorative chips fall where they may! 🙂

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Noel Progressive Dinner 2010

December 15, 2010July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 14 Comments

For the third consecutive year, four households on our cul-de-sac participated in a holiday progressive dinner. It’s a time for us to all get together before the hustle and bustle of the season gets us too wrapped up to wish one another good cheer. Ramon and I look forward to it each year.

This year another couple from the neighborhood joined our group to make it all the merrier. We began the evening at 5:30 for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, then on for salad, followed by the entree, and last – but never least! – dessert! We ended the evening with a few rousing games on the neighbor’s Wii. Much needed exercise after all that delicious food!!!

This post is also about opportunities to reuse decor items and ideas. Elements from two recent posts are freshened and incorporated for a whole new look on one table. Given the number of dinner parties we host, it sometimes makes sense to not try and reinvent the wheel…but to simply give it a facelift! I hope you are able to take away some ideas for your own use!

We started with tasty hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at Lynn & Barbara’s. Barbara always creates wonderful and imaginative treats, and this time was no exception!

After popping delicious hors d’oeuvres for an hour or so, we all trudged next door to our house for salad (graciously and lovingly prepared by neighbor Mary Ellen!), assorted soups (gumbo, chicken noodle and vegetable beef made by yours truly), and melt-in-your-mouth, buttery good rolls brought by our round-the-corner friends Carla and Jim.

Some of you may recognize some of the decor used for this table. With back-to-back dinner parties hosting different guests, it seemed prudent to recycle some of the decor with a twist to make it special. This meal, served in the living room, is set up on two 6-ft. tables pushed together horizontally to create a square that can comfortably seat up to ten guests.

The “Noel” theme was carried from the fireplace mantel onto the table with the addition of this velvety red ribbon tucked around each charger. (I recently employed this same technique using plain red satin ribbon around silver chargers. See “Celebrating the Season“.) Clear glass plates allow guests to see the ribbon before salad is served.

My much-loved, stiffly starched linen napkins were neatly folded and tucked into each place setting’s wine glass.

Also used in a previous post (“Roman Holiday“) was this chunky candle on a gold scrolled riser. Last week it was presented with just the candle. For this occasion, however, I tucked in the same greenery and berries found in the floral arrangements and on the mantel. This is a great way to create an instant centerpiece without having to use a ton of flowers!!!

Instead of the creamy white & gold Christmas tree toppers used in the “Roman Holiday” post, I subbed in elegant red & gold with scrolls that mimic the design on the floral containers.

I found this fun wine bottle decor at Pottery Barn a couple of weeks ago. Isn’t that typical? The lady is all dressed up in her finest diamonds and fur while the guy just kinda shows up in a casual holiday hat & scarf! 🙂

After stuffing ourselves at our house, we all miraculously still had room for dessert. So on to Bob & Jane’s for a fancy sweet treat to end the evening! What a fun night!!!

A few other Christmas tablescapes on this site include:
“Celebrate the Season”
“Christmas in the Woods”
“Kaleidoscope Christmas”
“Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas”
“Christmas Through the Red Door”
“Life Is A Cabaret – New Year’s Eve”
“Waking Up to Christmas – Bedroom Decor”
“Black, White & Red All Over Christmas”
“Christmas 2012 – Red, Black & Silver”
“Checkered Christmas”
“Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas”
“Sugar High Payback”
“Contemporary Christmas”
“Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat”
“Woodland Men’s Tablescape”
“Cranberry Christmas”
“Cranberry Christmas Squared”
“Get Me To the Church On Time”
“Christmas Progressive Dinner”
“White Hot”
“Winter Brunch”
“Really Red Christmas”
“Roman Holiday”
“Cardinal Christmas”
“Frosty the Snowman”
“March of the Penguins”
“Winter Cardinal”
“Ideas for Throwing a Winter Dessert Party”
“Christmas Fiesta”
“Over the River and Through the Woods”
“Black Friday Luncheon”
“Old-Fashioned Red & Green Christmas”
“Timberland Christmas”
“Christmas Coffee”
“Warm Metal Christmas”
“Let It Snow”
“Tuscan Holiday“

I am delighted to join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. After peeking in on my photos, please feel free to wander on over to Susan’s place to see what other tablescapers around the world are up to!

Roman Holiday

December 8, 2010July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 32 Comments

The Christmas season is in full swing now, and even though I’ve been feeling a bit under weather, the Nichols household was rockin’ last weekend!

I love intimate dinner parties, and we had a chance to host one this past week for which I really enjoyed the preparation process. Rich, sultry shades of gold mixed with hues of ivory and white with a little jolt of red here and there…one of my favorite holiday palettes! After 5:30 cocktails (a little earlier start than usual), the six of us sat down to a 4-course feast. Lively conversation took us into the late night hours.

Back into the cozy confines of our dining room for this intimate dinner for six, I decided to do the flip of last week’s dinner party and go all gold & white.

I bought this American Atelier “Florentine Gold Scroll” china years ago and have had only a couple of occasions to use it even though I love the design. (See this china used in a stunningly different tablescape HERE.) This table was set with the dinner plate and soup bowl only atop a gold braided-edge charger. (I took these photos late. The salad plates were chilling in the freezer!) All the brilliant gold had a chance to really shine against the solid white table linen. My favorite favor – boxes of Godiva chocolates – fit right in!

Keeping with the gold and scroll themes, I used goldplated flatware with a swirled design. The magnificent drinking glasses are part of a set my Mother purchased while on a trip to New York back in the 1970s. I always admired the set and am particularly drawn to the Roman soldiers on each. I have never set a table with these until now, but thought no others would do. The intricate gold design just seemed to demand its place on the table!

I am almost ashamed to admit how little I paid for these pretty napkin rings, especially since they are so closely hugging my gorgeous linen napkins. Truth be told: $1 each at Old Time Pottery. Shameful!!! 🙂 Again, their design elements just seemed the perfect match for this table.

I bought scads of these cool gold mercury glass votive holders at Village Gardens in Blue Springs, MO. They emit such a fabulous glow!

My centerpiece floral contains many of the same elements as last week’s post because I have TONS of this fresh seeded eucalyptus hanging out in my garage!!! The gold scrolled floral container is a perfect match for the china. A fat 3-wick candle perches atop another scrolled vase turned upside down.

Other gold elements on the table include elegantly embellished tree toppers in coordinating designs and these fanciful reindeer candleholders I purchased years ago at a wholesale outlet.

The sconces in the room got a holiday treatment of fresh greenery, berries and the same gold mercury glass votive holders.

The buffet was decked out in florals similar to the one on the table, reindeer, frosty white ornaments, and lots of candles in brass candlesticks.

The matching water pitcher! While it doesn’t hold a lot of liquid, it sure is pretty!

A few other Christmas tablescapes on this site include:
“Celebrate the Season”
“Christmas in the Woods”
“Kaleidoscope Christmas”
“Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas”
“Christmas Through the Red Door”
“Life Is A Cabaret – New Year’s Eve”
“Waking Up to Christmas – Bedroom Decor”
“Black, White & Red All Over Christmas”
“Christmas 2012 – Red, Black & Silver”
“Checkered Christmas”
“Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas”
“Sugar High Payback”
“Contemporary Christmas”
“Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat”
“Woodland Men’s Tablescape”
“Cranberry Christmas”
“Cranberry Christmas Squared”
“Get Me To the Church On Time”
“Christmas Progressive Dinner”
“White Hot”
“Winter Brunch”
“Really Red Christmas”
“Roman Holiday”
“Cardinal Christmas”
“Frosty the Snowman”
“March of the Penguins”
“Winter Cardinal”
“Ideas for Throwing a Winter Dessert Party”
“Christmas Fiesta”
“Over the River and Through the Woods”
“Black Friday Luncheon”
“Noel Progressive Dinner”
“Old-Fashioned Red & Green Christmas”
“Timberland Christmas”
“Christmas Coffee”
“Warm Metal Christmas”
“Let It Snow”
“Tuscan Holiday“

I am thrilled to join Susan and all the other tablescapers at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday! You’re invited to hop on over to check out other fabulous holiday designs!!!

Celebrate the Season

December 1, 2010July 29, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 30 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad to see the (politically correct here) Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/etc. season finally arrive. I have had my fill of pumpkins for this year, and I’m ready for shiny and bright! Thankfully, we have a number of Christmas parties planned here at home for which I can pull out all the decorating stops…or show restraint. (Yeah, right! That’ll happen! 🙂 ) The master plan is to make each one unique in style, content, and color scheme. We’ll see how that works out since I am so partial to red during the holiday season!

This first party of the 2010 Christmas season came right on the heels of Thanksgiving which didn’t allow for a lot of prep time. I had to think fast on my feet! Mercifully, the long tables were already in the living room, Ramon hustled to finish the outdoor lighting (all red, of course!), and the house was already clean. To further maintain my sanity, I opted to share cooking duties with a favorite caterer. Our garage has morphed into a floral cooler (!!!), so lots of fresh greenery there to grab and arrange at a moment’s notice. (I don’t even want to discuss the bad “haircut” our porch evergreens got in the name of floral design for the small arrangements! 😦 ) At any rate, this dinner party kicked the season off with a bang!

Try as I may to avoid it, red makes its way into almost every holiday setting I create. Icy silver and white play host here to fiery red on a table set for 12.

Muted silver square chargers (Old Time Pottery) with rounded edges anchor the place setting. A rounded-edge square B. Smith with Style plate in frosty white is then topped with a crisp white dinner napkin encircled with a red & silver ring to keep the napkin from disappearing into the plate. Godinger crystal stemware from the “Chelsea” collection and Hampton Silversmiths “Patriot” flatware round out the setting.

A simple length of satiny red ribbon is tucked around the charger to give the illusion of a “gift” and to add a little color.

This photo was taken a bit later in the evening, but I think it shows how beautifully the crisp white shows up to the darkness. It, like the tablecloth, reminds me of snow!

I wanted to add a bit more red and introduce something a little fun to the table. I settled on these beautiful Christmas cards from Pier 1.

Inside each card was the evening’s menu embellished with a similar design! I’ll probably use this tactic a lot this season. It’s a great way to use the cards that I’ll most likely never get around to sending out! 🙂

I have 3 of these lovely silver epergnes, and liked the way they looked like pretty soldiers lining the center of the table! I just find seeded eucalyptus to be one of the easiest greens in the world to work with at Christmas time, so you’ll see a lot of it in my arrangements throughout the season. It drapes so beautifully and is so graceful. The greenish-grey color is wonderful, too, and it stands up nicely against the darker evergreens. My favorite filler, leucadendron, makes another appearance here along with bright red berries.

Tiny crystal vases hold snippets of seeded eucalyptus, evergreens, and cheerful red berries.

The fireplace mantel is all decked in a variety of greenery dotted with red berries. (Fresh seeded eucalyptus and other greens will last the entire evening without water OR you can insert the ends into water tubes.) Reflective silver candlesticks topped with pillar candles and mercury balls dance through the foliage. The whole image is doubled back in the mirror which makes it look even more lush.

‘Tis the season!

A few other Christmas tablescapes on this site include:
“Christmas in the Woods“
“Kaleidoscope Christmas”
“Merry & Bright – Multi-Color Christmas”
“Christmas Through the Red Door”
“Life Is A Cabaret – New Year’s Eve”
“Waking Up to Christmas – Bedroom Decor”
“Black, White & Red All Over Christmas”
“Christmas 2012 – Red, Black & Silver”
“Checkered Christmas”
“Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas”
“Sugar High Payback”
“Contemporary Christmas”
“Gentlemen’s Winter Retreat”
“Woodland Men’s Tablescape”
“Cranberry Christmas”
“Cranberry Christmas Squared”
“Get Me To the Church On Time”
“Christmas Progressive Dinner”
“White Hot”
“Winter Brunch”
“Really Red Christmas”
“Roman Holiday”
“Cardinal Christmas“
“Frosty the Snowman“
“March of the Penguins”
“Winter Cardinal”
“Ideas for Throwing a Winter Dessert Party”
“Christmas Fiesta”
“Over the River and Through the Woods”
“Black Friday Luncheon”
“Noel Progressive Dinner”
“Old-Fashioned Red & Green Christmas”
“Timberland Christmas”
“Christmas Coffee”
“Warm Metal Christmas“

I’m thrilled to join Susan for Tablescape Thursdays. After clicking on the “Winter” tab above to view my photos, feel free to head on over and visit the other talented men and women there!