Are You Ready For Some (2-Year-Old) Football?

February 1, 2018May 9, 2022 / Alycia Nichols / 21 Comments

Hello, howdy, hi there! While I’m still working hard on recuperation (from surgery exactly 8 weeks ago!), I can now at least sit in my office chair for 10-15 minutes at a time before pain swallows me whole. Meanwhile, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and I came across photos from a “Better Kansas City” show Super Bowl 50 segment from two years ago that I never posted! With Super Bowl 52 this coming weekend, it’s perfect timing! Thanks for stopping by, enjoy Super Bowl weekend, and I hope to “see” you sometime in March!

For this segment I wanted to represent both teams. I had no horse in this race, so no big deal! (Fellow Kansas City Chiefs fans, please forgive me this transgression. :-))

I’m quite fond of these stretchy Spandex tablecloths from LinenTablecloth.com because they go on easy, clean up nicely, and don’t have to be folded. Really! Just scrunch ’em up and store them without wrinkle worries! (I don’t get paid to say nice things about the company. I just want you to know where to find stuff!)

The buffet “table runner” is actually composed of 3 gridiron placemats that I previously used for “Hometown Pride: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos” and “Kansas City Chiefs in the Red Zone“.

This horse head was first used to poke fun at the Broncos in my “Hometown Pride” post, but here it is merely fun team symbolism.

It is rare that I advocate disposable products, but if you want faster clean up, don’t trust the rowdy folks on your guest list to not throw ironstone dishes at the TV if their team is losing, or just want some variety, there’s lots of fun stuff out there.

I’m a big fan of choosing food and/or drinks in the team colors!

The Denver Broncos presence is felt all over the buffet table with the team colors of orange and blue. I found the cute little “official” bottle cozies (with working whistles!) and the pom poms (fun favor for guests to cheer on their chosen team!) at a local Party City.

This snazzy, jazzy guest table is all decked out in the Carolina Panthers’ team colors. Layering linens is a great way to bring color and interest to your table! The triple layer linens of Carolina blue, black and white are all from LinenTablecloth.com.

The place settings are simple but fun with matching placemats and napkins. I sometimes like to use both a fabric and paper napkin. Here, the team colors are well represented by tucking the patterned paper napkin inside the fabric one and allowing it to just peek over the top. (Fabric for your lap, paper for your hands & lips!)

Quick, inexpensive, and easy describes this centerpiece in celebration of 50 fifty years of Super Bowl. I bought plain numbers at Hobby Lobby and spray painted them gold, the traditional color for 50th anniversaries. Three footballs from Dollar Tree were also painted gold and set atop tiered candle holders to lend more varied height to the tablescape.

So this was me two years ago (the picture of good health, loud & proud in my Kansas City Chiefs jersey!), one year out from the 3 surgeries (2 spine, 1 shoulder) I endured that year. I was feeling strong and energized after months of physical therapy. This look of healthy glee and accomplishment is my goal for later down the line in 2018, so I’m going to let slow and steady win this race. While I’m still nowhere near being able to create tablescapes at this point, I hope to get there soon!

Other sports themed tablescapes on this blog include:
Hometown Pride
Kansas City Chiefs in the Red Zone
Home of the Lions
Boys of Summer – Baseball Tablescape
The 19th Hole – Golf and Forever Love
Tartan on the Tee

I’m joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for her 488th Tablescape Thursday blog party and the 114th Celebrate Your Story with Chloe and Sandra. Lots to see over there from other very talented tablescapers, so check it out!

Shop ‘Til You Drop – Prepping for Black Friday

November 16, 2017February 8, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 8 Comments

Alycia and “Better Kansas City” host Alexis del Cid, playing with dishes

Every tablescape blogger and those who read the blogs have at least one thing in common: WE LOVE TO SHOP!!! We chase after bargains, bright ideas, and innovative styling tips. Shopping can make a person awfully hungry and thirsty, and with Black Friday just over the horizon now, this super high-spirited 4-minute segment from the “Better Kansas City” show has tips on creating a fun and fanciful after-the-hunt tablescape. A few still photos of the tablescapes created on set follow, and at the end stick around for a super silly 60-second bonus clip from the show I think you’ll enjoy!

I created two separate tables for this segment: a colorful dining table for guests and a fun buffet table.

Bright pink/fuchsia 17″ poly napkins from LinenTablecloth.com are neatly stacked at the end of the buffet table. The fun metal figurine in the background depicts a carefree young woman out on a shopping spree and is one of 3 purchased at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago. The cake…well, you’ll learn more about that cake in the video clip at the end of the post!

When I saw this stainless steel stiletto heel cake server at Burlington a few years ago, I just couldn’t resist! This would be great for showers and wedding events, too. Such a fun, feminine way to serve up dessert!

Here’s another of those metal shopping figurines from Hobby Lobby. This chick is ready to shop ’til she drops come rain or shine! Next to her is a fabulous glittering stiletto heel vase overflowing with an array of colorful flowers and greenery.

This was one of my favorite parts of the whole buffet tablescape! The drink station is set up on a wooden Lazy Susan for easy access. The wine glasses with purses all over them are from the Dollar Tree and complement the shoe wine glasses on the dining table. The stiletto heel bottle stoppers were an impulse buy from a Michaels clearance bin a couple of years back that really add style and a little shimmer. We were really pressed for time, and I asked my genius friend, Barbara, to figure out something to do with the shot glasses on the table. She stacked them pyramid style for a look that is a real winner! A+!!!!! (She’s a retired teacher!)

When setting up a buffet table, I like to have various sizes, shapes, textures and anything else available to give the table “motion.” Setting the spoons on the diagonal seem to do just that. The bowls by Rosanna feature a stiletto heel motif. They were purchased at Tuesday Morning some time back.

A feminine dining tablescape for ladies who have had their fill of shopping for the day. (Wait…what does that actually feel like??!?!) I chose to go with very colorful place settings to complement the buffet table. Each place setting is grounded with a hot pink Bormioli Rocca “Inca” glass charger topped with a solid white plate. The pretty salad/dessert plates by Rosanna each have a fun shopping reference along with the stiletto heel motif. The flatware is J.A. Henckels Bellaserra.

The polyester LinenTablecloth.com napkins in “Caribbean” blue are folded lengthwise and placed with one end beneath the charger. Each napkin is cinched with a colorful beaded napkin ring rescued from the clearance bin at Bed Bath & Beyond 5+ years ago.

The fun stiletto heel glassware from Dollar Tree rounds out the place setting.

Each place setting had its own separate nosegay displayed in a bright pink fluted glass vase from Michaels. I like to do this for ladies luncheons and such. It’s such a personal gesture that guests really appreciate both during and after the event. All flowers for this segment were purchased at Aldi’s!

One of my favorite tricks for bringing color and depth to the table is to layer linens. Here I used a white 85″ square (to let the colors of the accessories on top really pop) over a hot pink/fuchsia 108″ round, both from LinenTablecloth.com. (To see a couple of other examples of linen layering on this site check out Caribbean Queen: One Table, Three Looks, Queen of Hearts Card Party, and Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon. And if you’d like to see another post-Black Friday tablescape, check out Black Friday Luncheon from back in 2012. )

OK…post over, but here are a few bonus pics and a video you will get a kick out of from later in the show. The pic above is of co-host Rob in the kitchen with famed chef/author/restaurateur Lidia Bastianich who was also on the show that day. Yes…THAT Lidia!!! I was too starstruck to ask for a selfie with her!

Then it just got loopy around there!

Rob and Alexis just had TOO much fun with that fake food!!!

Group hug! Me with co-hosts Hallie, Rob and Alexis with my buddy Barbara on the other end. Another show down!!

I will once again join Susan and the gang over at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. I’m also joining Sandra at Sweet Sensations for Celebrate Your Story. You can still catch cool ideas for your Thanksgiving tablescaping as well as the upcoming Christmas holidays!

Flashy Flamingos – Navy, White & Pink Tablescape

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peacefully Patriotic

June 29, 2017September 6, 2021 / Alycia Nichols / 8 Comments

Sadly, true patriotism in America is fractured by divisiveness and vitriol. Here’s wishing us all a peaceful and reflective 4th of July.

I started this tablescape with a white stretch tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com to cover the ugly legs of the folding table. The topper is blue and white star tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com, unfortunately discontinued. To emulate the American flag, I added a red & white striped runner.

The simple place settings are created by using a white ceramic charger from Old Time Pottery topped with a red dinner plate and square blue salad plate from Pier 1. The napkins, also discontinued at LinenTablecloth.com, complement the tablecloth and are cinched with a shiny red & silver napkin ring from Bed, Bath & Beyond. The flatware is Hampton Silversmith “Patriot” which is one of the most favored patterns in my collection. The graceful crystal pilsner glasses were found at an estate sale.

I bought these star-shaped bowls from Pier 1 many years ago. They have been seen in other patriotic-themed posts on this site like “All-American Seafood Boil” and “Red, White & Blueberries”.

I love these LED candles! They’re a votive inside a pillar. I bought about 20 of them wholesale many, many years ago and wish I would have invested in more. They really are a terrific alternative to actual flame.

I wish you, yours, our nation, and the whole world peace as we go into this holiday weekend.

Other patriotic-themed tablescapes on this site:
All-American Seafood Boil
Red, White & Blueberries
4th of July Coastal Style
Stars & Stripes
Lauren In the Library
Show Me State Dinner
A Coke & A Smile – Summer’s Last Hurrah

Cardinal Christmas

December 3, 2014December 5, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 44 Comments

INSPIRATION: 222 Fifth “Holiday Wishes” dishes from T.J. Maxx

Busy, busy, busy! Christmas is just 3 short weeks away, and it’s a scramble. This tablescape is a cheerful mix of red & black to celebrate the flurry of cardinals settling in for the cold winter months ahead here in Missouri.
(Click on any photo and then click again to enlarge/enhance it.)

All linens on this 48″ round table for 4 were purchased from LinenTablecloth.com. The 108″ red cloth is topped with a contrasting 90″ black square. A black napkin is tucked beneath the charger and casually hangs off the side of the table.

Each place setting begins with a fire engine red acrylic square charger from World Market. The inspiration plates, “Holiday Wishes” by 222 Fifth, add pattern and color with cheerful meandering ribbon, pine cones, holly, poinsettias, and cardinals. Goldtone flatware complements the gold flourishes and Christmas greetings on the dishes. Godinger “Chelsea” collection crystal stemware completes the setting.

The simply assembled centerpiece has a green wreath foundation peppered with pine cones, bright red berries and wandering ribbon to pick up on the design of the dishes. For safety’s sake, assorted sizes of red LED candles fill the wreath’s center. (I am SO banned from using real candles in the house anymore!!! Don’t ask. 😦 )

For extra pizzazz to my Christmas tablescapes, I sometimes add embellishments to the chair cover sashes. Here, a red stretch chair cover and sash from LinenTablecloth.com are dressed up with a length of black organza ribbon to mimic the colors of a cardinal. I then tied on a bit of pine greenery, pine cones, and a single red (faux) poinsettia. This look further extends the dish design and makes a real impact as guests enter the dining area.

Alycia Nichols, Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One, www.tabletwentyone.wordpress.com, Cardinal Christmas: Gift wrapped in red & lime green with red high heel shoe ornament affixed to the top

Just for “kicks” I want you to see the fun White Elephant Christmas gift I wrapped. The red gift wrap is accessorized with bright green ribbon and the word “joy” spelled out in little crystals. The box is topped off with a glittery red high heel shoe fit for any diva. What’s inside…something equally cool or a dud? 😉

More Christmas tablescapes on this site:
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

I’ll be back next week with a tour of our home decorated for Christmas and a “transitional” tablescape I think you’ll like!

I’m linking up this week with:
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

Tartan on the Tee – A Creekmoor Christmas

November 17, 2014January 31, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 46 Comments

Last week I brought you Confectionery Christmas, one of the three “fantasy” tablescapes I set up for “Garlands & Gatherings”, a fundraising brunch benefiting Hope Haven of Cass County, MO. This second table runs in a completely different direction with strong, more traditional colors and the pattern that is very often associated with both the Christmas season AND golf: tartan!
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You may or may not know that the game of golf has Scottish origins, and that was the inspiration for this golf-themed Christmas tablescape. Tartan is most particularly associated with Scotland (Rod Stewart anyone? 😉 ) and was therefore a sure bet for bringing color and pattern to this traditional table for four. If you have avid golfers in your family or social circle, a tablescape like this could be right up their alley!
(NOTE: The 48″ table used for this demonstration is considerably smaller than most households’ dining room tables. Your finished creation would be better spaced out.)

Each place setting is grounded by crisscrossed tartan table runners from Tuesday Morning in red, black, green, and white with touches of gold thread. Goldleafed glass chargers separate the runner from the red, gold & white Royal Scotland china. (You can see this same china used for Missouri Show Me State Dinner and Christmas Through the Red Door.)

This was one of my favorite parts of the tablescape: a resin replica of a golf bag from the men’s section in Hobby Lobby used as a vase for a nosegay of red spray roses, green hypericum berries, green Pittosporum, and a tiny branch of privet berries. The bouquet is centered in a miniature grapevine wreath that adds texture to the setting.

Gold-rimmed stemware is a nice complement to the setting, as is gold-toned flatware.

I created menus using our home desktop computer. Black cardstock frames white cardstock embellished with printed tartan ribbon. A 3-D effect is achieved by hot gluing a miniature wreath to the center of the top ribbon.

I wanted so much to recreate a version of the “golf club tripod” centerpiece I did for the dedication of my Dad’s memorial garden reception buffet table, but I was afraid it might not be able to withstand the day’s activities. So…

…I finally threw in the towel and switched from a wobbly trio of 9 irons to a sturdy 3-legged iron stand centered in a snow-kissed faux pine wreath with a smattering of gold mercury glass votives around the perimeter. Same effect with a much-reduced chance of catastrophe. (Safety first!) I topped the iron piece with an oversized red ornament ball and then embellished the body with two greenery/ribbon swags. I made the bows using tartan wire-edged ribbon that complements the table runners, red/gold/green wired ribbon for contrast, and black organza ribbon. The result was a very lush and dramatic centerpiece.

Chairs for this table are dressed in bright red stretch chair covers from LinenTablecloth.com. Notice how I chose to lower the black stretch sash to look more like a “belt” than a “bra” on the chair. Here is also where you can plainly see the contrasting red, black, and white linens used to create a layered look for the table that looks great with the tartan runners.

Finally, a golf club embellished with the same tartan ribbon and greenery used in the centerpiece. A pair of these propped up at the entry of your event or tied into a wreath would look great!

Another golf-themed tablescape on this site:
The 19th Hole

Other tablescapes incorporating black in the Christmas theme:
Black, White & Red All Over
Frosty the Snowman
Checkered Christmas
March of the Penguins
Woodland Men’s Tablescape

Later this week, I’ll post a final fall tablescape, and then next week bring you the final installation from the “Garlands & Gatherings” event. Meanwhile, you can click on any of the photos to the right for additional Christmas-themed tablescapes!

Blog parties I’m linking up with this week include:
Between Naps on the Porch – Tablescape Thursday
Rustic & Refined – Table It!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Pretty in Pink, Wicked in Spurs

October 2, 2014April 26, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 48 Comments

INSPIRATION: This fun “Pretty in Pink, Wicked in Spurs” sign found at Hobby Lobby that works well for Breast Cancer Awareness Month AND the Kansas City American Royal!

It just so happens that the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month coincides with the time frame in which we Kansas Citians are deep into the rootin’ tootin’ goodness of celebrating what decades ago for better or worse branded us a “cow town”: the 2014 Kansas City American Royal. The Royal, which lasts for several weeks and includes a broad range of activities, has been a Kansas City tradition since 1899. But don’t get it twisted…it’s not all ropin’ and overalls and dodgin’ cow patties. There’s a softer side to it, too.

Pink is the color of the day for this luncheon on the deck. The round table for 4 is layered in a full-length ivory tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com and a cotton candy pink cloth. The ivory color is continued with the stretch chair covers from LinenTablecloth.com.

Each place setting begins with a rough hewn “wooden fence” foundation that I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby. Delicately scalloped ivory plates are from Pier 1 Imports. Soft pink napkins are folded into a pocket for the pink petal-bordered luncheon menu. (My grand faux pas: serving chicken!!! This is CATTLE COUNTRY, baby!!!) The flatware is embellished with tiny florets. I found the perfectly pink wine goblets over the summer at Home Goods. Now for the fun part of this super fem western tablescape: the miniature cowgirl boots are from Hobby Lobby. Notice the flecks of bling on them and how the florets mimic those on the flatware. Each boot is filled with a tiny mixed bouquet, making these the perfect take-home gift for each guest. The larger rusty iron spur surrounding the base of each boot is just a little something extra for fun. I found them at Hobby Lobby, too, and they really help to shore up the “rough” side of the tablescape.

The centerpiece is another picture of the “leather and lace” feel I wanted to bring to the table. Miniature bales of hay in various sizes are positioned with clusters of sweetheart roses and ivy. A “lasso” casually hangs off the side of the “Pretty in Pink, Wicked in Spurs” sign at the base of the largest hay bale. To bring a little height, more color, and lots of texture to the centerpiece, I used a pink glass vase from Michael’s to create a larger bouquet similar to the one used in each miniature boot.

The sitting area on the other side of the deck is very simply adorned for luncheon. The wrought iron furniture is dressed in pale pink rose-covered cushions. The coffee table has nothing on it but a little gift for our breast cancer survivor guest of honor along with a couple of small hay bales and another lasso.

I hope this brought out the cowgirl in YOU!

Other tablescapes on this site suitable for Breast Cancer Awareness Month/survivor celebrations:
Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon
All A’Bloom
Pleasant Under Glass
Roses in October
Princess Pink Birthday Dinner
Blushing Bridal Shower
Pink Plaid & Posies
Luncheon in Pink
Pretty in Pink
Springtime in Paris
Peony Power
Coming Up Roses
Tea Roses

If the weather and my old, broken down body should happen to cooperate, I will be back next week with another tablescape for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is a cause near and dear to my heart. Remember, though, ladies…EVERY month should be Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!!

This week I’m proud to join:
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday
Holly at A Coconut’s Head Survival Guide for Pink Blog Day

Old Navy Seafood Cruise

July 2, 2014July 2, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 38 Comments

INSPIRATION: A set of 4 striped Pier 1 plates found at a thrift store.

INSPIRATION: A set of 4 striped Pier 1 “Marea” dinner plates found at a thrift store.

This quick post might help out with your 4th of July table planning by just adding a few small flags. It’s fairly easy to put together and makes a casual fun summertime tablescape. (I created this tablescape last year just days before my Dad got so sick, but forgot about it and never posted it.)
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This table for four looks to celebrate the wonders of the beach and sea. It starts with a 108-in. white tablecloth from LinenTablecloth.com and it topped with an 85-in. navy square. If you prefer less of a drop for your top cloth, LTC has a navy one in a 70-in. and a 54-in. (Pictured is a 48-in. table, so decide according to the preferred drop and the size of your table. I wanted the white to just barely peek from beneath like a crinoline petticoat, so I used an 85-in.) The table is finished off with a fishnet to add to the nautical/beachy look.

The place setting begins with a white ceramic charger from Old Time Pottery. Next comes the “Marea” blue striped dinner plate from Pier 1 that I found in a local thrift store. All four for just $2 with nary a scratch on them!!! (“Nary”?!?!? Who am I…Grandma Moses??!?! 🙂 ) A blue melamine salad plate from Target and a fun dessert plate with a ship’s wheel motif finishes off the stack. As my dear blog friend Cherry Kay of Entertaining Women pointed out in her most recent post, “Soft Summer Blues”, don’t even go there when it comes to trying to perfectly match blue tones. The range is just too vast and you’ll only end up crying in a corner somewhere, reeking of cheap wine and low self-esteem! 🙂 The flatware is from TJ Maxx, and I added a seafood picker (essential for getting to that sweet meat hidden deep in the claws!) that I picked up at World Market.

I found these beautiful silver (plastic!) lobster napkin rings at Z Gallerie a few years back on clearance at 75% off. There were only 9 of them, and I swooped in like Batman to claim every one of them as my own! The little aluminum pails came from the $1 aisle at Target, and the seafood crackers are from World Market.

Simple clear glass stemware for water and the obligatory wine!

I bought this beautiful raised cylinder from Pier 1 many years ago…on clearance. It was marked all the way down to about $12. I wept with joy. The silver bottom is sturdy, and the open-ended clear glass piece on top just raises right off. Here the cylinder is filled with lots of pretty seashells deliberately arranged to show off details of some of the most interesting ones.

Of course, Old Navy flip-flops are the preferred shoe of the day! And then you decide…do you want to be The Skipper or Gilligan? 🙂

Other nautical/beach-themed posts on this site:
All-American Seafood Boil
Tropicana
Hot Tropical
Ocean Blue
Flamingos in Paradise
4th of July Coastal Style
Caribbean Queen
Summer Breeze
Oranges & Blossoms

Join me at these fun blog parties this week for lots of summer tablescapes:
Table It!
Tablescape Thursday

Simply Peacock Garden

February 18, 2014February 20, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 52 Comments

INSPIRATION: 222 Fifth “Peacock Garden” plates from Home Goods

True story: My Mom MADE me get these plates! Seriously! Stop laughing! She did!!! We were in Home Goods, and I was going to pass them up…but she insisted I get them and then ultimately bought them for me. STOP laughing! I’m telling the truth!!!

Have you composed yourself? Good. Then please enjoy my post using these beautiful 222 Fifth “Peacock Garden” dinner and salad plates. Then be sure to stop back tomorrow for another peacock tablescape that would sub nicely for a Mardi Gras setting!
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I set up this 48″ table in our library as burly men with their butt cracks showing finished installing new windows in our dining room. This was my only diversion as they were here for way too long on a frigid day. Ice and snow as far as the eye could see. Yes…that meant the house was freezing cold, so I had to keep busy!

I used this linen layering technique again to pick up both the white background and the colorful foreground of the plates. A 108″ white round tablecloth is layered with an 85″ square turquoise cloth from LinenTablecloth.com, lending contrast and interest.

Clockwise progression: The deep blue metal charger used at the bottom of the place setting was found on clearance at Pier 1. I was so lucky to get 8 of them! My sister gave me the beautiful gold- and silver-leafed glass chargers a few years ago, and I use them often. The deep turquoise poly-cotton napkin is from Z Gallerie, and you already have the 411 on the plates. That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it, people! 🙂

The napkin is simply folded and placed between the top charger and the dinner plate. I placed it here to pick up the deep turquoise in the plates, while the top linen picks up the softer turquoise color in them. The bottom charger picks up the 3rd shade of blue, the gold charger picks up the gold, and the bottom white linen, of course, picks up the white in the plates. Like a peacock’s feather, this place setting is a dazzling array of hues that artfully work together.

Wacky? Yes. Unconventional? Yes. Fun? You betcha!!! It’s not a formal setting, so this is just another way to add interest to the tabletop and keep guests on their toes! 🙂 While the salad and dinner forks are in their traditional places, the dessert fork and coffee spoon decide to get jiggy with it!

Wanting once again to pick up the array of colors in the peacock plates, I teamed up an inexpensive cobalt blue goblet from Dollar Tree with a mid-priced deep turquoise goblet from Stein Mart, then finished it off with a 24-kt. gold-rimmed white vintage piece from my Mom. I love to mix glassware like this! (For more ideas on successfully mixing stemware, visit HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

The centerpiece is easy to create but packs a whallop. A beautiful pitcher is filled with peacock feathers at varying heights and then simply surrounded by a splash of gold mercury glass votives. All the girth is way up high, so the centerpiece can remain throughout the meal.

OK, now I’m saying this so much that even I’m starting to think I’m lying: My Mom MADE me get these wreaths!!! We were checking out accessories in Home Decorator Collection when she suddenly summoned me to the back. She literally called me on my cell phone and told me to come back there. I’m an obedient daughter ( 😉 ), so I went. There, at 75% off in the after-Christmas section, were these beautiful and very full peacock wreaths. “They’re perfect for the plates,” she said. “You need to have those,” she said. “If you don’t buy them, I’ll just buy them for you,” she said. Honest!!!

I’m exhausted! All this explaining myself is really hard work! Please stop back by tomorrow for another peacock tablescape that is a nice respite from the “usual suspects” in Mardi Gras decorating. I’ll post it just before leaving the house to go shopping with my Mom! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Other tablescapes on this site inspired by peacocks:
The Peacock Effect
Peacock Pizzazz
Pumpkins & Peacocks
Pheasants & Peacocks
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Be Still My Heart – A Valentine’s Day Tablescape

February 5, 2014February 10, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 52 Comments

Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One – Be Still My Beating Heart: Four plate collage

INSPIRATION: Pretty burgundy, black & white dessert plates found on the clearance table at Pier 1 and used here as bread & butter plates.

I hadn’t really planned on doing anything for Valentine’s Day other than what I’ll do for my husband on the 14th, but when I saw these little plates at Pier 1 on the clearance shelf, I had an immediate change of heart…so to speak. 😉
(Click on any photo, then click again to enhance/enlarge it.)

This Valentine’s Day tablescape for four (two couples or maybe get some of your single girlfriends together for a fabulous night in!) is all about layering. I used three different tablecloths from LinenTablecloth.com to achieve an ultra lush look on this 48″ round table: a 108″ white round, a 90″ black round, and finally a 70″ burgundy square. The layering allows each of the three colors found in the inspiration plates to peek out with the burgundy taking center stage as the color of love.

The table shown here is outfitted with a few pretty votives for dinner, but could be easily transformed to a luncheon table by removing them.

I wanted the place setting to evoke romance, so I used these intricately-embellished American Atelier “Empress” ironstone chargers and soup bowls that don’t usually see much action around here. The standard black dinner plate is part of a set from Walmart. The black-trimmed burgundy raw silk napkins are from the Bombay Co., a retail store I really, really miss. I chose the black Hampton Silversmiths “San Remo” flatware because the detailing on the handles resembles hearts. The stemware is one of my favorites, “Chelsea” from the Godinger collection.

You’ve just gotta have a box of chocolates for everyone on your Valentine’s Day guest list! The Russell Stover (local company!) chocolates here are covered in plain white wrap and adorned with tiny silk rosettes in the same burgundy color found in the top tablecloth.

The centerpiece is simple but pretty. For demonstration purposes here I used silk rose balls, but it would be the crowning touch for your table to go for the real deal. Ask your florist to create them for you or, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, go DIY. (Be sure to keep the finished rose balls in a cool spot before putting them on the table, and be VERY sure there is no water dripping from the floral foam.) Touches of pink in the rose balls help to soften the overall look and add contrast. Three silver-rimmed votive holders with shapes that mimic the black vase are strategically placed. (TIP: When setting a table, look for similar or complementary shapes in the decor pieces you use.)

I just LOVE these stretch chair covers from YourChairCovers.com!!! They are so easy to slip on, stay put even with the wiggliest butts on them, wash and wear with no fuss (no ironin’….y’know what I’m talkin’ ’bout, ladies?), can bounce back & forth between traditional and contemporary dining environments, and they come in 14 colors! YourChairCovers.com carries a wide variety of lovely sashes, too, but I chose this organza one from my repertoire with its fancy beading for a little extra ooh-la-la.

Quick and easy post for a quick and easy tablescape to celebrate with your loved one(s). Please come back in a couple of days to take a peek at my second (and final!) Valentine’s Day 2014 tablescape.

Other tablescapes on this site suitable for Valentine’s Day dining:
Platinum & Pink Valentine
Should Have Put A Ring On It
Diamonds Are a Material Girl’s Best Friend
Queen of Hearts Card Party
Love’s Arrow
Days of Wine & Roses
Chocolate Traditional
Peonies & Pearls
Fete Noir et Gris
Pretty In Pink
Princess Pink Birthday Dinner