Grazin’ In The Grass – 80th Birthday Party

July 28, 2017July 31, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 3 Comments

GRAZIN’ IN THE GRASS
(a re-post from April 2009)

My husband and I hosted a much less formal birthday bash for my Mom in 2009 to celebrate #80. We started off with a wine and cheese bar for family & friends.

My Mom’s official birth date is March 22, so what better way to ring in the season than with a spring tablescape rich with the colors and elements we miss over the long, cold winter? Mom really got a kick out of my sudden “green thumb” with rye grass grown just for the occasion in clear glass containers. (She then tried to play it off…like, “Whatever, dude. No big deal. I could’ve done that with my eyes closed.” Look at that look on her face…and the one on mine!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 ) Rye grass only takes a couple of weeks to look like this! See Tip #15 under the “Table Tips” tab above. Fresh Gerbera daisies add a playful and colorful element to the centerpiece set atop a length of moss.

The casual dining room setting included a double layer of placemats. The cabbage leaf placemats were perfect for ushering in Spring! Mikasa stoneware in various Spring colors gave the table a little kick in the pants, while plain yellow linen napkins layered with gauzy floral ones danced above.

Just about everybody loves a cupcake! Makes you feel like a kid again, doesn’t it? For this celebration, vanilla cupcakes frosted in spring pastels and decorated with “fluttering” butterflies were the talk of the party! You can’t go wrong when decorating with butterflies…they enchant both young and “not-as-young”!

The official octogenarian and moi! I’m not scared of aging…I’ve got good genes! 🙂

Other birthday posts on this site include:
“The Party She Deserves“
“Celebrating 85 Years of Fabulous!“
“88 Years & 88 Keys“
“Princess Pink Birthday Dinner“

“Purple & Pastel“

“Black, White, & Red All Over Birthday“

“Happy Birthday, Barf!“

“Fairy Princess Party“
“Blue & White 30th Birthday“
“Bellini Birthday Brunch“
“Purple + Green = Happy Birthday!“
“Under A Paper Moon”
“A Dorothy By Any Other Name“

Spring Into Easter

April 7, 2017 / Alycia Nichols / 12 Comments

For the first time in two years my health is such that I could actually create an Easter tablescape to share with family and friends. This is a “souped up” version of what it will be using lots of greenery, wreaths and other accessories I bought at one of my favorite home accessories boutiques, Home Finishings, in Lee’s Summit, MO, where we live. (My buddy, Mary Beth, owns Home Finishings, and if you want to get lots of fabulous ideas for free, Like the Home Finishings Facebook page.) I was inspired this year by the remarkable vignettes Mary Beth created in her most recent Spring home tour (you can see those photos on her Facebook page or soon to come on the Home Finishings website) where each room was dressed to the nines!

There is no scarcity of design elements on this table, that’s for sure! I appreciate the abundance that allows a little something for everyone. Remember, though, this is an “enhanced” or fantasy version of what is actually workable for guests to dine. You can edit, edit, edit at will!

Place settings such as these are obviously a part of the “fantasy” of the table; but if you want to impress your guests upon their arrival, leave it as is and then remove the wreaths with nests just before guests sit down to the first course. The lacy white doily-like metal chargers are from Michael’s and can be used throughout most of the year. (I’ve seen this same charger in a pastel pink at Michael’s this season!) They are topped with a small grapevine wreath filled with Spanish moss, enhanced with sprigs of forsythia, and crowned with a tiny moss nest from Home Finishings. I added the eggs and a couple of feathers for further effect.

Bird Song by Park Designs dish towel design

“Bird Song” by Park Designs fabric swatch

A plain white cotton napkin complements the white charger. The flatware is from Target. Notice the bit of fabric at the edge of the centerpiece beyond the place setting? That’s a “Bird Song” cotton dish towel by Park Designs that I received as a bonus with purchase after the last Home Finishings in-store event. The birds and twigs on it complement those on the table and around the room. So…there’s an idea for what to do with those pretty towels that don’t soak up much water in the kitchen: make ’em a part of your table design!

I chose melon green glassware with a raised pattern from Pier One to work with all the greenery on the table. White egg cups from World Market hold speckled eggs.

At each place setting is a tiny yellow ceramic chick.

The lush centerpiece is largely centered on a wicker basket for easy removal. The birdcage is filled with candles and a small gazing ball. It is wrapped in a generous length of bendable “twig” that cascades from the top and disappears into the greenery. The stone bunny holds a basket of flowers adorned with butterflies. The entire arrangement is surrounded with greenery bunches – most purchased at Home Finishings – that spill out over the basket onto the table.

A length of moss runner anchors the entire centerpiece. On each end I placed an evergreen topiary flanked by gazing balls that add something reflective to the vignette. The addition of the topiaries was part of the inspiration gleaned from Mary Beth’s luxurious creation in her own dining room.

I carried the yellow of the forsythia and baby chicks from the table over to the buffet.

The tea/bar cart in the dining room corner is dressed up a bit for Spring and Easter with adorable wood bunnies from Hobby Lobby. For a bit more Springtime effect I added wreaths with speckled eggs in nests to the tiered server.

Additional Easter tablescapes or
tablescapes adaptable to Easter on this blog:

Easter In Pink & Grey
Easter Floral – Purple, Pink & White
Easter Bloom
Barton’s Easter Brunch
Building a Better Brunch Buffet
All A’Bloom in Pink for Spring
The Bluebird Special
The Party She Deserves
Spring Green
Purple for Spring
Going Green for Spring
Spring Has Sprung

Note: With this new design, I no longer have a Comments section. If you have questions, please feel free to drop me an email. The address is on the sidebar.

Happy Spring, and best wishes for a safe and blessed Easter!

Easter in Pink & Grey

April 16, 2014April 16, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 65 Comments

HIP-HOP HOORAY!!! I’M CELEBRATING MY 200TH POST TODAY!!!

INSPIRATION: This stately-looking bunny rabbit wearing a jacket & vest similar to what I used to wear...minus the pot belly, of course! :-)

INSPIRATION: This stately-looking bunny rabbit wearing a jacket & vest similar to an outfit I used to wear during my “Brat Pack” days back in the 80s…minus the pot belly, of course! (Slap a pair of wire-rimmed glasses on this fellow and smooth his ears down like hair, and he’d be Benjamin Franklin’s doppelganger! 🙂 )

Easter is a few short days away. If you’re looking to do something a little more on the formal side for brunch or dinner without being totally stuffy, this post might be of some help to you.
(Click on any photo, then click again to enlarge/enhance it.)

I decided to go with a bare table this time around. That’s a little unusual for me, but I thought all the elements would work well on bare wood. Gleaming silver metal chargers are topped with Easterling (no pun intended…really! 😉 ) “Majestic” china from my Mom. I thought the shade of grey on the rims complemented the inspiration rabbits’ jackets.

An easy pocket fold for the medium pink napkin from LinenTablecloth.com allows the menu to be neatly tucked inside.

These adorable moss topiary place card holders were graciously given to me by Beau-coup.com. You’ll be seeing a bit more of these, used in different ways, over the summer months. The flatware is Hampton Silversmith’s “Patriot – Mirror”, and the stemware is Mikasa “Jamestown Platinum”.

The centerpiece starts with a moss table runner with various-sized moss balls strewn about. For this demonstration I used faux pink and white hyacinth in the silver champagne bucket and little pots of pink and white grape hyacinth. For your actual Easter table, though, it would be really terrific if you could go fresh. There’s nothing in the world quite like fresh flowers! (For the sake of uninterrupted conversation during the meal, the champagne bucket of flowers can be easily moved to the sideboard.) The bunny figurines – looking quite dapper in their grey knicker pants and jackets with pink and white accents – are from Home Goods.

The buffet has florals that complement those used on the dining table. They are on the ends only to leave room for the big ol’ Easter ham or desserts. The tall moss ball “trees” mimic the place card holders as do the shorter moss ball “bushes.”

The vintage tea cart in the corner is readied for coffee service after the meal.

Other posts on this site featuring Spring & Easter tablescapes:
“Easter Brunch”
“Barton’s Easter Brunch”
“Easter Floral”
“Pinky Peter Cottontail”
“Easter Bloom”
“Carousel Colors”
“Spring Green”
“All A’Bloom for Spring”
“Spring Has Sprung”
“The Bluebird Special”
“Daffodilyicious”
“Purple for Spring”
“Zen Garden”
“Mum’s the Word”
“Rolling Fields of Green”
“Taste of Wine Buffet”
“Goin’ Green for Spring”
“Springtime in Paris Mother’s Day Buffet”
“Peony Power”
“Moss & Manzanitas”
“Daisy Crazy”
“French Poodle”
“Celebrating 85 Years of Fabulous”
and the “Spring” tab above for a couple of fun Springtime tablescapes

I will join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for “Tablescape Thursday” later this week and Alma at The Tablescaper for “Seasonal Sundays” over the upcoming weekend. I hope you’re up for the parties, too! Oh…and I’m posting each week on BeBetsy.com, too!

From our loving home to yours, may you and your family be blessed with all the grace of the good Lord this Easter and always.

Better Kansas City Morning Show

April 1, 2013March 15, 2014 / Alycia Nichols / 48 Comments

I’m just back from making my third appearance on the “Better Kansas City” morning show here in Kansas City! Even though I have to get out of bed before dawn to make that long drive into the city, it’s totally worth it when everything comes together. Sheri and I were able to get this morning’s table up in less than 45 minutes, so I even had a few moments to actually study my script!

The look for today’s show is similar to the one I did back in mid-March, “Rolling Fields of Green“, which captures the versatility of a table that can transition from Easter to Spring and right on into summer.

I mentioned fellow blogger Vernice of We Three Dogs & Me during the segment. Vernice is a very special over-the-miles friend who is very dear to me and who recently celebrated her 82nd birthday. Listen for her name, and then drop by her blog if you have a moment. Vernice puts her heart and soul into her tablescapes, and she always appreciates a visit!

A few pics that Sheri snapped….see if you can figure out what I forgot!
Horrors!!!! Too late to turn around and go back home!
(Click on any photo, then click again to enhance/enlarge it.)

Starting the table set up…moving much faster than this photo depicts! 🙂

Getting closer to completion…and running out of breath!

Who’s letting me play with sharp objects??!?!?!?

Place setting. Have you figured out what’s missing yet?

All done! Off to powder my nose, slip into my high heels, and take a breath before air time!

The finished table is created with a full-length white linen from LinenTablecloth.com topped with a moss runner, gold glass chargers from Costco, white dishes with scrolled edging from TJ Maxx, Godinger “Dublin” crystal stemware, lots of moss balls, faux cabbages, evergreens and spring florals in rustic pots.

Reviewing the script with producer, Sherie (not to be confused with my best friend, Sheri, who was on set taking photos of me!), before the show.

Cameraman Chris is the best! He always gets my good side…even if he has to search for hours to find it! 🙂

Lovely producer’s assistant, Lauren, gets me mic’d up.

On the set after the show with co-host Lisa Holbrook

On the set after the show with skinny (I’m so jealous!) “Better Kansas City” co-host Lisa Holbrook

Many thanks once again to producer Erin Cansler for inviting me back! I had a blast and a half!

Thank YOU for stopping by, and I’d like to invite you back for my regular weekly post tomorrow!

I’m linking up with Tablescape Thursday!

Rolling Fields of Green – St. Patrick’s Day Tablescape

March 13, 2013February 8, 2018 / Alycia Nichols / 68 Comments

A million-and-one thanks to blog party hostesses Marty at A Stroll Thru Life (155th Tabletop Tuesday) and Jessica at A Humble Creation (A New Creation link party #3) for featuring my tablescape from last week honoring fellow blogger Vernice at We Three Dogs & Me! I am honored, flattered, and tickled petal pink! 🙂

A portion of this post is featured in the January 2015 issue of “Kansas City At Home” magazine along with an interview regarding trends for entertaining at home!

“They say Mother Earth is breathing
With each wave that finds the shore.
Her soul rises in the evening
For to open twilight’s door.
Her eyes are the stars in heaven,
Watching o’er us all the while.
And her heart, it is in Ireland
Deep within the Emerald Isle.”
(Opening lyrics of “Ireland“,
lyrics by Stephanie Davis, Jenny Yates, Garth Brooks)

This year’s St. Patrick’s Day dinner party tablescape has a very organic quality about it, mixed with a little pot o’ gold glitz. It started with a full-length white tablecloth (LinenTablecloth.com) as the foundation. Beautiful rippled glass champagne-colored chargers purchased from Costco a couple of years ago lay beneath creamy white dishes from T.J. Maxx. Godinger’s “Dublin” crystal (what else for St. Patrick’s Day?!) and goldtone flatware round out the place setting.

I tend to use more subtly symbolic decor when decorating for St. Patrick’s Day, hence the moss, cabbage, evergreens (all symbolizing the rolling green fields of Ireland) and gold accents (the pot of gold, of course!). Florals and greenery are assembled in a tightly gathered parade of creamy, rustic stone & earthenware pots (symbolic of the many fences made of stone in the Irish countryside) that I placed on a moss table runner. Gold mercury glass votives dot the centerpiece, and a few extra moss balls show up on worn golden-colored stands tinged with verdigris.

TIP: Using lots of pots or vases in the same color family creates a harmonious look down the length of your table. You can connect the centerpiece even further by placing everything on a runner or tray.

The buffet behind the dining table is very simply dressed with a pair of antique white stone urns topped with evergreen mounds, a trio of gold mercury glass votives, and a tray of “Dublin” rocks glasses to serve a wee bit o’ Brendan’s Irish Cream after dinner.

Other posts on this site with tablescapes suitable for St. Patrick’s Day:
“Upscale Irish”
“The Party She Deserves”
“Moss & Manzanitas”
“Ready for My Close-Up, Mr. DeMille” (buffet)
“Apple Green Luncheon”

I am proud to participate this week in Cuisine Kathleen’s “5th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Blog Crawl“. Head on over there to check out lots of tables wearin’ the green! I am also taking part in Marty’s 156th “Tabletop Tuesday“, Susan’s “Tablescape Thursday” and The Home Girl’s “Festive Friday Fiesta“.

“Ireland, I am coming home.
I can see your rolling fields of green
and fences made of stone.
I am reaching out.
Won’t you take my hand?
I’m coming home, Ireland.”
(“Ireland” chorus)

Barton’s Easter Brunch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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