Tented Green

July 29, 2017July 31, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 1 Comment

TENTED GREEN!
(a re-post from May 2009)

We opted for a separate reception tent exclusively for the kids. Let’s face it: Children get bored stiff at weddings. They need planned activities in their own space, kid-friendly food like chicken fingers and fruit cups, and specialized decor. The two most important things to keep in mind for a children’s tablescape: simple pleasures and lots of bright colors. I chose a white lap-length tablecloth for this table. Floor-length + children often = disaster! I went with white to help make the colors on top really stand out.

While we used lots of the couple’s colors of pale green and white in the lush balloon arrangements around the tent, the balloon figures on the table here are all white. (Balloon arrangements by Balloon Garden.) I created placemats in lots of primary colors using puff paint to personalize them for each child in attendance. I’m no artist, so believe me…this was no small feat!!! 🙂

You can’t go wrong with a goodie bag! Just fill it with simple items like crayons and coloring books, Play-Doh, miniature Etch-a-Sketch, wrapped candies, Matchbox cars for boys, and Barbie dolls for girls. Always be sure the contents are age appropriate and not on anyone’s recall list! (Goodie bags and leis from U.S. Toy Company.)

A caricature artist provided lots of fun for kids young and old!

Face painting…or is that the real Spiderman?!??! ‘-)

I have plans for an all-out kid fest at home sometime soon. I’m anxious to see the kids’ faces and to get your feedback!

Other kid-friendly tablescapes on this blog include:
“Fairy Princess Party”
“Confectionery Christmas”

“Cupcake Colors”

“Frosty the Snowman”

“Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas”
“Popsicle Party”

“Sugar High”

“Life Is Just a Chair of Bowlies”

Fairy Princess Party – For Little Girls!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fairy Princess Party…OUT!!!

Other clumsy attempts at parties suitable for children on this site:
Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies
Popsicle Party
Cupcake Colors
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
Confectionery Christmas
Sugar High
Kaleidoscope Christmas
Frosty the Snowman

Other princess-inspired posts on this site:
Princess Pink Birthday Dinner
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Fairy Tale Wedding Shower – The Princess & the Frog

Popsicle Party!

July 9, 2017August 16, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 10 Comments

We’re just about midway through the summer swelter, and every day calls for something cooling and refreshing to beat the heat. Here’s an idea for a popsicle party where after dinner it’s all about popsicles for the over-21 set! (There are numerous recipes on Pinterest for “adult” popsicles that will put a little pep in your step!)

When the temperatures are soaring but you still want to get outside to entertain, make it something special with treats that will visually AND literally cool your guests.

Bright colors abound across this table for four. The tablescape begins with a pure white tablecloth to show off the brilliant hues on top.

Each place setting starts with a fabulous natural round “Water Hyacinth” placemat from Pier 1. These are so incredibly versatile! I’ve used them in various tablescapes including “Barton’s Easter Brunch“. Next up are woven round placemats in a glorious “Peacock Blue” from Bed Bath & Beyond also seen on “Summer Fruits & Penny-farthings” and “Give Peace A Chance” on this site. White melamine dinner plates from Target are topped with dazzling orange-rimmed pink melamines from Burlington that I first introduced in the post “Oranges & Blossoms” back in September of 2010 and then reintroduced in “Hot Tropical“!

Cheerful Gerbera daisies in juicy orange gourd-shaped ceramic vases decorate each place setting.

When I break out the melamine plates, it’s time to scrounge up color coordinated flatware from TJ Maxx like this in snowy white that really stands out against the deeper color of the top placemat.

I found this terrific plastic stemware at Old Time Pottery a few years back. I wish I could use it more often. It’s the safest way to go for summer outdoor entertaining! I used the same style in a creamy yellow back in 2014 for a post called “Cupcake Colors“.

The inspiration for this tablescape came not only from the heat and my affinity for adult popsicles, but from these super cute Dollar Tree dish towels! I like to use them as napkins for their super powers of absorbency as well as the colorful themes! I’ve used dish towels as napkins for several warm weather posts including “Grill It Up!“, “Most Egg-cellent Fall Breakfast“, “Italian Honeysuckle“, “Picnic Ants“, and “Black & White Barnyard Breakfast“.

Well, don’t say you didn’t see THIS coming!!! Popsicle-shaped menus created on my desktop computer!!!

The centerpiece is a simple one: curvy plastic bowls in vibrant turquoise and pink placed together so both colors show. Fill with fragrant summer fruits like the oranges, mangoes, lemons, peaches and limes shown here, and voila!

I get a LOT of mileage out of the hooks I installed beneath the overhang on the deck! On this day a few vividly colored metal lanterns from Hobby Lobby swing in the gentle breeze and add ambience when the shadows fall. (I first used these lanterns as a part of the centerpiece for “Hot Fun In the Summertime” back in 2014.)

I hope you’re finding a way to stay cool this summer! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Other warm weather posts using lots of dramatically juicy colors on this site:
Carousel Colors
Tulips In the IHOP Hour
Caribbean Queen
Hot Tropical
Flamingos in Paradise
Casablanca Cool
Hot Fun In the Summertime
Brilliant Italian
Tropicana
Daisy Crazy
Cupcake Colors
Summer Fruits & Penny-Farthings
Give Peace A Chance

Confectionery Christmas

November 11, 2014January 31, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 63 Comments

I was pleased to participate as both a designer and one of 4 workshop presenters this past weekend at “Garlands & Gatherings”, a benefit event for Hope Haven of Cass County, MO. Hope Haven provides shelter, advocacy and support services to women and children in our area who have fallen victim to domestic violence or sexual assault. The Saturday morning brunch brought out a nice group of women looking to support the cause, have a little fun, and learn a few tips on holiday decorating (Karen Mills, Interiors by Design and me), personal style (Jennifer Niehouse, It’s So U!), and cooking trends (Jean Ostby, Williams-Sonoma). Over the next 3 weeks, I’ll be posting the tablescapes I designed for the event with the hope that you will enjoy them as much as the benefit attendees did!

To kick it off, this first table is something fun for kids. The pastel/candy/polka-dot theme would be great for a Christmastime birthday party or just to make the kids feel extra-special at their assigned Christmas Day dinner table!

Please pardon the photo quality. The lighting wasn’t the best, and I was under a tremendous time crunch.
(Click on any photo, then click again to enlarge/enhance it.)

Although it generally would not be practical to employ a full-length linen for a children’s table, I used one here to cover the ugly legs of the folding table and to hide scads of storage boxes! The 90″ x 132″ white tablecloth on this table for 8 is from LinenTablecloth.com. (Alternatives to a linen: [1] go bare, [2] use an inexpensive sheet, [3] wrap the ugly legs in festive ribbon, [4] add Christmas elf stockings to the legs stuffed with gift tissue to make them stay up & cover the leg all the way to the top, and then “gift wrap” the table surface.)

I chose to go with paper and plastic goods for this kid-friendly tablescape. Each place setting begins with a colorful polka-dot “placemat” which is actually a piece of felt from Hobby Lobby. Very inexpensive at just 50¢ apiece. Next are Dollar Store plates in pastel blue and purple topped with a ring pop to add a little color, fun, and a bigger sugar high for the kids. 😉

I used various colored flatware to add to the colorful nature of tablescape. A trio of soft paper napkins are tucked beneath each dinner plate.

The inspiration for this tablescape was the pair of “marshmallow and candy” Christmas trees I found at Hobby Lobby. I set them atop a clear glass pedestal for added height and then created a “tree skirt” using scads of curling ribbon. (What a pain in the patootie!)

Keeping with the confectionery theme, I added clear glass apothecary jars down the center of the table filled with all kinds of colorful candies. The swirl pops amidst the Pixie Stix look very much like the inedible “marshmallow” swirl pops from Hobby Lobby in the very center of the table that add even more height to the overall look. (NOTE: If you don’t want to risk your nice glass apothecaries, try using various sizes of clear Mason jars or jars that previously held jelly, mayo, pickles, etc.)

I also found these wonderful pastel nutcrackers at Hobby Lobby to place at each end of the centerpiece and stand sentry over the candy!

I created this fun look by covering ordinary banquet chairs with a white stretchy cover and a bubble gum pink satin sash from LinenTablecloth.com. I then used a length of yellow satin ribbon to affix a melange of candy ornaments to the center. The polka-dot ribbon (Hobby Lobby) was the final touch to tie the chairs in with the dots on the marshmallow trees and the placemats. (Chair covers for a kid’s party? With these easy stretch covers, clean up is a breeze! Just toss ’em in the laundry!!!)

As a final touch, I added a couple of gift bags adorned with candy cane ornaments. The paper gift tissue is a mix of pink and polka dots.

Big shout out to Ebony Jackson of EAJ Events In Lee’s Summit for coming to lend a helping hand in the 6+ hour setup!

Last, just for laughs, here’s a picture of me – no makeup, pancake flat hair, and my “out in public” back brace bulging beneath my sweater – as setup began. Goodness knows that back brace needed to be on, because when it was my turn to present…..well, just watch this 90-second video!

AND MY BACK & SHOULDER PAID A HEFTY PRICE FOR THE CRAZY SHENANIGANS THAT LITTLE BURST OF ENERGY BROUGHT ON!!! 😦
I’m back on my walker now to get around and having sleepless nights from the pain. But it sure was fun while it lasted! 🙂

More kid-friendly Christmas-themed tablescapes on this site:
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
Sugar High
Frosty the Snowman
Kaleidoscope Christmas

A few other Christmas tablescapes on this site include:
“Celebrate the Season”
“Christmas in the Woods”
“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”
“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”
“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“

Parties I’m linking up with this week:
Between Naps on the Porch – Tablescape Thursday
Rustic & Refined – Table It!
Style Sisters – Centerpiece Wednesday
How Sweet the Sound – Pink Saturday

Cupcake Colors

August 11, 2014July 28, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 65 Comments

Ever have one of those days? Mine was yesterday. I accidentally erased half the photos for this post off my camera before transferring them to my computer. So…..I’m just going to put on my big girl panties, dry my mascara-stained face, and hope you guys don’t fire me for posting it anyway!

INSPIRATION: Cupcake placemats from Pier 1 purchased several seasons ago.

It is rare that I create tablescapes suitable for children, but every once in a while I go there. This tablescape would be great for a birthday or any kid-friendly celebration.
(Click on any photo, then click again to enhance/enlarge it.)

This children’s table for 6 starts with a 90″ x 132″ hot pink/fuchsia 100% polyester tablecloth from YourChairCovers.com. Because it’s polyester, any stains generally lift right out with a little presoak treatment. The easy-care white stretch chair covers are from LinenTablecloth.com.

Each place setting begins with two placemats. The first is a fun fringed and polka-dotted rectangular placemat from Pier 1 that drapes off the side of the table. The top placemat is the cupcake-shaped placemat made of heavy-duty felt, also purchased at Pier 1 and featuring a cherry on top. The lime green plates are from the Dollar Tree.

Something fun for kids young and old is the unique napkin fold. I rolled 20″ x 20″ hot pink/fuchsia napkins from LinenTablecloth.com into tight mounds that, when placed in a colorful paper cupcake cup, resemble frosted cupcakes! (Click HERE and scroll to Tip #33 for a step-by-step tutorial on how to create these napkins that are often referred to as the “rosebud fold.”) This can also be done with a sturdy paper napkin, but the results usually aren’t quite as pretty.

The hot pink-handled flatware is from T.J. Maxx, and the yellow-orange plastic stemware (lets the youngsters feel grown up!) is from Old Time Pottery. To add a little more flair and fun, I used one orange and one hot pink straw.

The centerpiece is fun and colorful for kids, but very inexpensive to create. I used clear ginger jars (you know the kind you get when somebody sends your FTD flowers or that you can find in overabundance at thrift stores everywhere!) and just dumped in loads of curling ribbon in different colors. I allowed some of the ribbon to overflow from the ginger jar and onto the table. To add a little more height and a touch of whimsy, I added an oversized orange Gerbera daisy from Pier 1‘s summer clearance a couple of years ago. Very simple, and very budget-friendly at about $10 total for the entire centerpiece!

The dessert buffet is covered with a 108″ round hot pink/fuchsia poly tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com. I used two more of the polka-dotted placemats to carry part of the dining table decor to the buffet. (Note to my “Art of Tablescaping” students…this is another example of subtly but effectively carrying the theme throughout the room/space.)

I found these cute ceramic cupcake holders at a local wholesale place. I think they’re meant to be floral vessels, but I thought they’d be great for holding various toppings for sundaes and cupcakes.

A raging sugar high is the key to a successful kids’ party! The same type of clear ginger jar vases as used on the guest table are used here on the cupcake/candy bar to display Pixie Stix, Dum-Dums lollipops, Good ‘n’ Plenty licorice, and colorful gumballs. Just add a ladle for scooping!

Cupcakes are displayed on stacked glass cake stands from Hobby Lobby. (Sometimes it’s fun to just have the plain cupcakes and let the kids decorate them with whatever toppings they want…if you’re up to the inevitable mess!) I even found some candies that are actually called Cupcake Bites for this party!!! And notice the corner of a stack of cupcake napkins at the upper left. That’s one of those detail photos that was erased from my camera. Aaaaarrrggghhhhh!!!!

OK, sorry again folks, but this is where it gets really bad. Since I lost those photos, I did what I could to crop and enhance some details for you. Not my best work, but hopefully you’ll get the gist. I found the oversized metal cupcake with the words “Sweet Treat” in the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby last year. Perfect! Drinks are dispensed from inexpensive plastic pitchers with color-coordinated lids. (Lemonade from the yellow, limeade from the green, and fruit punch from the pink.) You can just barely make it out that those are giant marshmallow lollipops displayed in yet another clear glass ginger jar in the lower right corner.

Last, but certainly not least, is the display of multi-colored paper lanterns in varying sizes. I used color-coordinated curling ribbon to hang the lanterns at varied heights for visual interest. Most of the lanterns here are from the new collection at LinenTablecloth.com. They come in 9 different colors, 3 sizes, and are super affordable! (Just be sure to hang ’em high enough that the boys can’t make piñatas out of them!)

So there you have it…a kids’ party that is in overdrive on color, texture and high-fructose desserts, but easy on the pocketbook!

Other kid-friendly posts on this site:
Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas
Sugar High Payback
Checkered Christmas
Kaleidoscope Christmas
Frosty the Snowman

Other posts on this site featuring the “rosebud” napkin fold:
Mother’s Day Luncheon in Pink
Springtime in Paris Mother’s Day Buffet
Au Revoir!

Other posts on this site featuring paper lanterns:
Under a Paper Moon
Butterfly Kaleidoscope
Blue & White 30th Birthday
Easter Brunch

I’ll once again be joining Christine at Rustic & Refined for the 14th installment of “Table It!“, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for “Tablescape Thursday”, and Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for “Pink Saturday”. I hope you’ll join me for more tablescaping ideas from talented bloggers the world over.

Life Is Just a Chair of Bowlies

May 6, 2014July 28, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 49 Comments

INSPIRATION: This fun Mary Engelbreit fabric “hot pocket” my sister made for me for microwaving potatoes and ears of corn.

Ah, summer! It may officially be a few weeks off, but it’s already feeling very much like it here with highs in the upper 80s. Scorching! I’m fighting back with a fun little tablescape that would be great for breakfast, brunch, or even a ladies’ luncheon. This tablescape could work nicely as a light-hearted Mother’s Day table, a fun birthday theme, or a shower theme for the woman who adores Mary Engelbreit…or cherries!

This casual summer tablescape begins with a 48″ round table draped in a 108″ black & white checkered tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com. I then placed an 85″ white square tablecloth over the top. Notice how just a shadow can be seen beneath the white, while the full complement of the checks are boldly on display at intervals around the bottom.

I spied the fun black & white cherry-covered placemats at Old Time Pottery and fell in love. While they’re not my usual style, they just seemed like something that would bring levity to a table in a heartbeat! And they just had a whole Mary Engelbreit/MacKenzie-Childs vibe about them that couldn’t be denied! The red luncheon plates are from the good ol’ Dollar Tree. The oversized cup and saucer set is from Pier 1 many moons ago.

Lovely Hampton Silversmiths “San Remo” flatware works well.

Pretty glasses hold refreshing limeade with a juicy cherry for good measure. The choice to use these particular glasses was made after deciding upon the cloche in the centerpiece. Notice how the ball of the stemware mimics that of the cloche top.

A simply-folded black napkin is draped down the side of the table from beneath the plate to break up the expanse of white in the tablecloth.

The centerpiece is relatively simple. A white ceramic teapot holds scads of clove-scented, bright red carnations. A black glass compote cradles – what else? – chocolate-covered cherries for dessert. Finally, a fun Mary Engelbreit “Life Is Just a Chair of Bowlies” clock is nestled in just for fun.

Prosaic? Perhaps. But the table just wouldn’t be complete without an actual bowl of cherries!

And the whole look comes together with this life-sized wooden character from the imagination of Mary Engelbreit with her sassy attitude and fruit-laden hat!

Other light-hearted, casual summer tablescapes on this site:
Ants In My Pants Picnic
Oopsy Daisy!
Daisy Crazy
Summer Breeze
Oranges & Blossoms
Caribbean Queen
Flamingos in Paradise
Summer Orange Tablescape
All-American Seafood Boil
Stars & Stripes
Brilliant Italian
Tropicana
Working Lunch
Orange You Glad You Came To Dinner?
Summer Blues & Greens
Tulips in the IHop Hour
Dinner With Friends

Please join me again this week at Susan’s place, Between Naps on the Porch, for Tablescape Thursday. I’ll also be linking up with a new link party at Christine’s “Rustic & Refined” called “Table It!”. Check it out! And next week, we’ll be dining fine with Cuisine Kathleen’s “Wedding China Tablescape Challenge”!!!

Kaleidoscope Christmas – Multi-Color Kids’ Tablescape

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pink & Purple Chocolate Christmas Tablescape

November 12, 2012July 28, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 73 Comments

I was tickled when the folks over at iVillage asked me to submit a holiday tablescape for their rockin’ site. When I checked the feature out this morning I saw that I was in very good company with bloggers like Mary from “Home Is Where the Boat Is” and Laura from “Our Prairie Home“. I was also introduced to a few bloggers with whom I was previously unfamiliar, so hooray! 😉 (If you’ve never visited iVillage, you might want to. It’s pretty awesome. SO much information about home & garden, great food, health & beauty…everything for women who want to be in the know!) Thank you, iVillage!

The photo I submitted was of an unpublished Christmas tablescape, so since it’s out there now I figured I’d go ahead and give you the whole package. This is another tablescape created for my recent “Tablescaping a Winter Wonderland” class through MCC at Longview. It would be a great table for a “tweener” or teen Christmas party for girls who still enjoy whimsy but feel more grown up when you add certain special touches. And as my friend Delia pointed out, this tablescape would also work really well for a winter baby shower!
(Click on any photo to enhance/enlarge. Photos by Sheri L. Grant.)

While pastel pink and purple are not “traditional” Christmas colors per se, they somehow work when visions of sugarplums, cookies and candies dance in your head. A snowy blanket of white linen covers the table from head to toe as a base for the bubblegum colors.

Each place setting begins with a lavender acrylic charger from Michael’s Craft Store. A plain white Corelle dinner plate is separated from the lacy white Pier 1 plate with a shot of pastel pink found in the napkin. The bon-bon topped cupcake is the final ingredient to create this pink, purple and chocolate Christmas setting. The silver flatware is very dressy…one of those “grown up” touches to keep the look from becoming too cutesy for teens and tweeners. No menus used. They’re teens, so you can just text them! 😉

Delicately etched pink stemware is another grown-up touch.

These “sugary” pink, purple, chocolate & white figurines picked up at 75% off at Burlington‘s end-of-season sale last year were the inspiration for the table. The sparkly finish on them makes them shimmer in the light.

I am a forever fan of using food to help fill in a centerpiece. Not only does it look and smell great, but it adds color, texture and shape. Because everything is edible, that’s money saved! (Some of the food presented here is faux for class purposes.) I like to present food at varied levels on assorted trays, plates and bowls, and you simply can’t go wrong with glass stands! A little more color and shine is brought down to the base level of the table with pastel pink and silver ornaments.

The buffet behind the dining table wholly subscribes to my philosophy of “Go big, or go home.” An oversized sleigh draped in silver bead garland (also used HERE) rests on a bed of cottony snow, filled with shimmering gifts in the prevailing colors of pink, purple and silver. More sweets and ornaments are displayed in glass stands and jars. Additional tree figurines stand guard over a shimmering silver basket of neatly wrapped gifts.

The tea cart stands ready to serve more beverages in these cute glass tumblers striped in pink, purple & white found at TJ Maxx for just $1 each on clearance. Paper napkins in the same colors are laid out for dessert. A glass apothecary jar holds a pouf of “snow” topped with a pale pink LED candle and a few random ornaments.

More apothecary jars filled with snow, ornaments, and LED candles sit atop the china cabinet.

Sheri videotaped the room in its entirety to give you a little better perspective of the layout. Just turn your volume down; otherwise you’ll hear me in the background running around getting ready for students to arrive! 🙂

For more teen/tweener-friendly Christmas tablescapes on this site, check out:
“Sugar High – Payback!“
“Frosty the Snowman“
“March of the Penguins“

For more Christmas posts on this site:
“Cranberry Christmas“
“Cranberry Christmas Squared“
“White Hot“
“Winter Brunch“
“Christmas Progressive Dinner“
“Get Me To the Church On Time“
“Winter Cardinal“
AND
check out NINE other posts all on the “Winter” page!

Join me if you will this week at Susan’s place for “Tablescape Thursday” anytime after 9:00 a.m. CST and at the Style Sisters’ place for Centerpiece Wednesday. There are a lot of bloggers out there with terrific ideas for the holidays!

Sugar High (Payback!)

November 28, 2011January 31, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 67 Comments

So what do you do when you want to render a little payback to your adult children for their snarky teenage remarks regarding your parenting skills? You throw a little party for THEIR children that includes almost nothing but sugar…then send the little ones home for THEM to deal with! 🙂 That’s my plan for later this week. Bad, bad Grandma!

Even with children, I like to dress the table in washable linens. A white full-length linen is topped with a red poly-cotton cloth that is rife with whimsical gold stars and swirls. I bought several of the top layer linens several years ago on clearance at Bed Bath & Beyond but have never had occasion to use them.

Lunch will start with fruit-filled red or green Jello (cut into Christmas tree shapes) served on the green glass salad plates. That will be followed by grilled cheese sandwiches, carrot sticks with ranch dressing, and crispy sweet potato fries on the white Corelle plate.

The simply folded napkins are actually plush white wash cloths tied with green and red curling ribbon. I pick the cloths up at Sam’s Club to stock our bathrooms for use as hand towels like this:

I keep a separate stash just for little hands at luncheons (and barbeques because I’m masochistic like that! :-)). After lunch just toss ’em in the washing machine with a little soap and Clorox® to soak for a day or so, and they’re good as new! (If a stain remains, I use the cloth for polishing silver.)

The white flatware is from TJ Maxx and is just “formal” enough for 7-10 year olds.

I bought these fun ice cream soda glasses several years ago at a store that is now defunct. You can probably pick up something similar from Pier 1, Old Time Pottery, or even Dollar Tree where I bought the red & white reusable straws. I’ll be serving a choice of strawberry or chocolate fudge ice cream sodas.

I went rogue on the place card holders. I don’t know what these things are intended to be, but I thought they’d make great holders! I bought them from Hobby Lobby a few years back.

Keeping with my infamous motto of “go big, or go home”, I plopped this massive sleigh in the center of the table filled with a big ol’ snowman and all sorts of goodies that the kids can take home after the party. I bought the sleigh and snowman wholesale about 10 years ago. The giant red, green & white Christmas candy canes are from Dollar Tree (2011). Man, I love that place! I created a very different snowman tablescape last year that you can see by clicking here.

Beneath the sleigh is plush cotton “snow” scattered with oversized ornaments that look like wrapped candy from Dollar Tree.

Keeping with the candy theme in the sleigh is a huge plush “wrapped candy.” I had 2 of them, but can’t find the other one! Maybe by Wednesday…..

I bought these fun painted wood “Ho, Ho, Ho” signs at Pier 1’s Christmas clearance last year.

I couldn’t let the china cabinet go unadorned. I bought this cute little dude at Burlington’s Christmas clearance last year for $1.97 (90% off)!!!!! This is another store that has great everyday prices and phenomenal clearance sales!

I am still grinning about the great deal these giant Santa hat chair covers were at….you guessed it…Dollar Tree! They fit nice and snug on our dining room chairs and give the room a really festive look! (I’m just praying they don’t discolor the chair fabric!)

And the pièce d’ résistance…the candy/dessert buffet!!! Candy, cookies, cupcakes…lots, and lots, and LOTS of sugar!!!!!!!! Bwahahahahahahaha!!!!!!! The fun figurines on the candy bar came from Burlington’s Christmas clearance last year. The assortment of glass canisters are from Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods. I created a more glamorous candy/dessert buffet for a friend’s Sweet Sixteen x Two birthday earlier this year. Click here to see it!

I’m picking the kids up around 11:30 and bringing them back to my house. I don’t want their parents to drop them off for fear they won’t come back to get them once they see what’s on the menu! 🙂 I can’t wait!!! I’ve never felt so deliciously evil in all my life!!! 🙂

Please join me at Susan’s place, Between Naps on the Porch, for Tablescape Thursday again this week to check out what other tablescapers from around the globe are doing to celebrate the Christmas season!

Frosty the Snowman

December 22, 2010November 20, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 37 Comments

ME: “Hi. I’m Alycia”

GROUP: “Hi, Alycia!”

ME: “I’m a tablescaper for adults.” (Group collectively gasps in horror. OctoMom and Kate Gosselin both reach for their cells to dial 911.)

There you have it! The truth is finally out. When it comes to tablescaping with children in mind, I’m like a man in Victoria’s Secret at closing time on Valentine’s Day: I haven’t got a clue and I’m desperate at best! Yes, I have a child for whom I threw parties of all kinds when he was growing up, but I never felt quite comfortable with the whole process. Kids are fickle. What’s “fly” today is “whack” tomorrow. (Even those terms are probably “whack” by now!) Who knows what will make me the cool grandma?

This week I am challenged…and I do mean CHALLENGED…with creating a tablescape for a group of “tweeners.” (For those of you like me who would have to look that up, that means kids at that age somewhere between little kids and teenagers. Middle schoolers, I suppose.) These kids don’t want to be babied, but they’re not ready for a glass of wine with dinner, either. They don’t believe in Santa Claus, but they still have a bedtime curfew and have to be reminded to wash behind their ears. You get who I’m talking about. So…..

Here’s the result for a tweeners’ Christmas luncheon to be held here on Thursday! Pity these children, for I assure you…I know not what I do! 🙂

Frosty sits in his sleigh at the front door to welcome our young guests!

Cheery red, snow-white and chimney black are the predominant colors used for this “tweeners” Christmas luncheon.

Each place setting consists of a black acrylic charger topped with a white plate, a frosted snowflake, and a cheerful red & white Hallmark salad plate in one of four designs. A happy little snowman with a sprig of seasonal greenery tops it all off. White cotton napkins, everyday stemware, and simple white flatware complete the setting.

I used these same red buckets over the summer for a picnic. For these photos each is filled with faux snow, but we’re expecting frosty weather to move in so each will be filled with the real thing to keep the Coca-Cola icy and refreshing. Using foods or containers with coordinating hues (like the red, white & black of the Coca-Cola bottle) is a great way to add color to the table.

Shiny black buckets with tasty candy canes are decorated with faux snow and shimmering snowflakes that are smaller versions of the snowflakes at each place setting. The buckets are placed on opposite ends of the table.

The tablescape is filled with 2 sizes of decorated miniature trees, bright red lanterns from Pier 1 , and more snowmen all on a carpet of cottony “snow.”

Snowmen in the lanterns, clad in jaunty black & white gingham scarves, are surrounded by mounds of snow and other seasonal elements.

On the outside of each lantern are additional snowflakes that resemble falling snow. Styrofoam “snowballs” are scattered about the blanket of glistening snow.

I bought a dozen or so of these tabletop trees in 2 sizes a few years back. A couple of years ago I handwired in all of the red & gold ornaments which took several hours and a couple of tubes of arthritis cream! 🙂

The luncheon table is fun for the young people with all the red & white. The miniature trees decked in red & gold coordinate perfectly with the red & gold-laden lighted greenery on the buffet behind the table. After the luncheon, we adults can enjoy the buffet decor on into the evening with the help of warm multi-level candlelight.

A few other winter tablescapes on this site include:
“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”
“Cranberry Christmas”
“Cranberry Christmas Squared”
“Get Me To the Church On Time”
“Christmas Progressive Dinner”
“White Hot”
“Winter Brunch”
“Really Red Christmas“

I am once again this week pleased and proud to join Susan and tablescapers from all over the world for Tablescape Thursday. After you check out my photos, feel free to slide on over to get more great tablescaping ideas!