Monkeying Around With Chinoiserie

June 20, 2022June 20, 2022 / Alycia Nichols / 9 Comments

If it’s as hot where you are as it is here in the Kansas City, MO area, please know I empathize. Gee WHIZ, it’s scorching!!!!!🥵 I can’t entertain the notion of setting up outdoors as even the mornings are intolerably muggy. This is not what June is supposed to feel like! So I’ve been “monkeying around” in the dining room with blue and white with a dash of orange.

The inspiration for this tablescape came from a pair of lumbar pillows I bought last year from **Sew Gracious**. (I’m not compensated in any way for mentioning this or any other site. I just love to share!) So perfect for our dining room!!!

I started each place setting with an orange glass Bormioli Rocco charger and Kate Spade for Lenox “Rutherford Circle – Navy” plates and bowls. The Ralph Lauren “Mandarin” salad plate brings visual texture to the setting.

I bought these monkey napkin rings years ago at Z Gallerie. He looks as if he’s holding on to that napkin for dear life!😆

**Nell Hill’s**. I mean…!!! I LOVE that place! The planters I happed upon while one of the showroom designers was setting a table there are perfect! (Yes, I took them right off her assembly cart…with her kind permission, of course!) I found the pots of spiky greenery there at Nell Hill’s on another shopping trip and added faux agapanthus.

Monkeys and gold-tone planters from The Painted Sofa in Kansas City, Missouri’s West Bottoms shopping district. (Visited there over this past weekend. They are TEEMING with product, y’all!) The blue and white biscuit jars are from Nell Hill’s.

On the vitrine sits a Nell Hill’s blue and white foot tub filled with juicy oranges. The tub is surrounded by a trio of finial jars, a miniature vase, and a couple of ginger jars, also from Nell Hill’s.

If you’re as much a lover of blue and white or chinoiserie as I am and would like to see more of it on this blog, check out the posts below. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram!

Have a fabulous week!

Peaceful Cherry Blossoms

April 22, 2022April 22, 2022 / Alycia Nichols / 17 Comments

I have perhaps finally gotten the hang of adding a wee bit of voiceover to my videos. This is my first, so please grant me your kind mercy! (In my head I sound like the very Scottish Mrs. Hughes in “Downton Abbey” when I say that !🤣🤣🤣)

April is on its way out, and I’m getting this post up just by the skin of my teeth! While Missouri isn’t exactly the cherry blossom capital of the world, we have our fair share of beauties. Our orchard when I was a kid had several that always produced the most magnificent show of color! As for the fruit…well, the birds got the lion’s share of that.🙄

The centerpiece starts with a fountain of pink and white faux cherry blossom branches assembled in a simple white cylinder. To more closely tie in with the plates, I added a number of bare branches.

There is no discernible maker imprinted on the back of the plates, but I bought them at Home Goods. They have a bit of a lip all around which makes them great for any variety of entrées. The soft pink glass chargers are from Hobby Lobby.

I absolutely LOVE the gold tone stick-thin flatware and colored glassware, all from Home Goods.

I have no recollection where I may have bought these faux bonsai, but they’re a wonderment for Asian-inspired decorating.

This magnificent monogrammed lumbar pillow is from the supremely talented **SewGracious** **Monograms**.

The goldtone pagoda lanterns are from a decor boutique here in the city of Lee’s Summit where we live called **Cameron’s Home Furnishings**. I love to go there to browse, and I almost always find something I simply “can’t live without.”🙂 The sake set is from World Market.

I love to use fabric cocktail napkins even when I’m just having a glass of ice water, and I have quite an expansive collection. These were recently acquired fromThe Robin’s Nest on ETSY, and I can’t say enough great things about the design!

This tablescape works well for cherry blossom season celebrations, National Cherry Pie Day (already come and gone this year, but will make its return on Monday, February 20, 2023), George Washington’s birthday, ladies’ birthdays, bridal or baby showers, the promotion of breast cancer awareness, or for any Asian-inspired occasion.

Interested in seeing more Asian-inspired posts on this blog? Check these out:

Really into pink like I am? Take a look at these posts!

Like big, overreaching centerpieces? Here ya go!

And this post, Life Is Just A Chair of Bowlies, is great fun if you just love cherries!🍒🍒🍒

Thank you for stopping by to say hello! I always appreciate it!

Berry Beautiful Autumn

October 29, 2021 / Alycia Nichols / 11 Comments

Gimme ALL the colors of autumn!!! I LOVE this time of year when the leaves have turned, bushes are heavy with fall/winter berries, we’re baking more, and everything is sumptuous and plentiful! All these wonderful things played into the inspiration for this “dressy casual” dinner tablescape.

The moody amber stemware is a mix of World Market (flutes) and Z Gallerie (goblets).

The multicolor plaid table runner from Home Goods/TJ Maxx was the start of this tablescape. I like how versatile it is, and I’ve used it a couple of times before including the posts “**Candy Color Autumn**” and “**Autumn Chinoiserie**“. The monogrammed lumbar pillow is from *Sew Gracious* on Etsy.

The gold flatware is from Target, first used for my Mom’s 89th birthday celebration, “**Ain’t Misbehavin’**” in 2018.

The autumn leaf embossed charger that grounds the place setting is a pattern I picked up at Crate & Barrel some years ago. The mustard yellow dishes and oak leaf bowls were both Pier 1 finds *at least* a dozen years back. I’m always glad to see when my purchases stand the test of time. The multicolor leaf napkin rings were purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond.

I found this cool seagrass-covered demijohn at Tuesday Morning this past summer. The colorful berry branches used to create this outstretched centerpiece were found in the clearance section at Kirkland’s at 90% off. Yes…I bought every. single. one!

These little glass votive holders in 6 different colors were a terrific find at World Market back in 2012 and were first used for “**Diwali, My Way**“.

Find more ideas for tablescapes using bright multicolors on this blog:

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