Alicia B. at Etsy!

Designing my wedding was one of the most fun projects I've ever worked on. Calling it a project feels weird but in terms of a design idea, it was. I wanted to create a fresh nautical but country inspired look for the Bridal dinner with milk glass and hobnail vases and blue and white table linens. Well, guess what!? All the vintage vases and accessories and hand made linens are available to you at my Etsy store. I collected these vases and bowls and made the linens from fabrics I found on fabric.com.

Set of 8 hand sewn square napkins. They look amazing with the ones below it mixed in.

Wow, so nautical!

This little bowl has the most beautiful detailed edge, right?

You. Are. Gorgeous.

This basket is one of my favorites. It's so sweet and looks amazing with flowers overflowing from it. Or candy!!!

Gorgeous hobnail pitcher.

I have a few pairs of pretty 8" tall vases. I love the detailing on these.

Here they are in action. It was a beautiful perfect night (not as perfect as our wedding day but HEY).

I love that you can use milk glass at any time of year; summer, perfect for Halloween actually, and they would really look so beautiful on a winter inspired table with lots of whites and greens. I'll be adding more items to my shop all the time so check back. Word on the street is that some mint julep cups will be arriving in the shop soon. Take a look!


Alicia B.

Pagodas: a motif I'm into.

Design motifs are basically our favorite things transformed into decorative objects, fabrics, wall coverings etc. These days we love ginger jars and zebra print. While I love those things too, I REALLY love pagodas. They are a classic Asian motif which can make a room fun and chic. Check out how these designers use them.

Mary McDonald took the pagoda to a whole other level when she mimicked the shape here in this upholstered headboard. As you can see, this Asian motif continues on the chocolate wall too.

Here are more pagodas adding height to a room buy placing white painted ones atop this cute white armoir. Love the stuffed animals too. Mary McDonald.

Placing decorative objects on display such as on a coffee or console table is important. Should they be books? a plant? Or two pagodas on either side of a plant like this by Ruthie Sommers.

Meg Braff does the same sort of thing with two white washed pagodas in this absolutely beautiful blue and white living room. I love the symmetry in this unpredictably two tone room.

I love all the asian motifs in this room: faux bamboo coffee table, the blue and white ceramic lamps and especially the pagoda lanterns. This room filled with fabulous textiles and furniture would be breathtaking even without them, but they seem to compliment everything and add a fun punch to the wall. By Alex Papachristidis.

For only $9285 you can have this bold pagoda cabinet. Found it HERE.

Etsy is always full of fun finds. This pagoda throw pillow sells for $55 at Decorative Instincts on Etsy.

Charlotte Moss loves the pagoda so much that she made it part of her letterhead. Great taste comes naturally to Charlotte Moss.

I'd love to get buy some pretty fabric with a pagoda on it and make some pillows. I found some traditional Asian toile fabrics online but I didn't love any of them. I found this fabric line Pagoda at Thibaut HERE. Or, this really cute whimsical with a tinge of cartoon fabric for only $24 a yard at warm biscuit.


Alicia B.

Making organization so pretty!

Over the weekend I dipped into the Lilly Pulitzer store on Madison ave and picked up some fun little file folders to file my taxes and some other paper work. I think that organization is just as much a part of design as anything else and i think that it really does matter what they look like. It just makes organization and paying your bill just a little bit more fun. It seems that other people agree because I've been seeing more and more of my favorite stores carry their own stationary lines. Take a look.
Vera Bradley has pretty stationary and I was given VB file folders a few years ago. I like this pink and brown Chinoiserie patterned one. $14 for 6 of them.

The Vera Bradley ones, like their bags, have a vast array of fun patterns. Sittin in a Tree HERE.

Jonathan Alder knows what's what and came up with his own stationary line too. PHEW. $9.95 for six of them.

Greek key, as you may know, is my newest love. I might have to go back to Mad Ave and pick up some of these ones at Jonathan Adler.

I found these on Etsy. The ones on etsy were pretty hit or miss (mostly miss), but I thought these were pretty and much simpler than the rest. From Whisker Graphics, 3 for $5 on Etsy.

These are the ones that I bought on Saturday. They're very tropical/preppy fun. $13 for 6 of them.

Lilly Pulitzer has a great stationary section as well as these adorable file folder. COME on! They have turtles on them!

Of course, the Container Store has a little collection of cute folders. A wee bit more affordable than some of the others, these are $6 for six folders--Bloom folders.

If you're into birds, these are really pretty from Kate's Paperie. Cavallini folders 12 folders for $18, woo! Though these aren't my favorite I kind of like the vintage postage feel to them.

I do love attractive organization but I really do think that it makes a difference to have something like these instead of blah manila folders. You know I'm right. Organization is also a great part of decorating and spring cleaning!

Alicia B.

The Luck of Good Design

Crane's green willow envelope and Thank You notes HERE. Thank you notes are still important to write and having cute stationary removes all excuses!

Well, good design isn't luck really at all. It's a good eye, experience, good use of color, and all that other jazz, but you all know that. Today is St Patrick's day which means it's going to take me twice as long to walk home today because of all streets that will be crowded with inebriated post collegiates yelling things at me or falling down in front of me. Aahhh, kids these days. Though I'm not Irish, I have strawberry blonde hair and very fair skin. I do love the color green and little pots of gold!

A holiday like this one certainly isn't a reason to change your interior to add green elements (unless you're planning a party!), but the fact that green might look nice in a room IS a reason. Jamie Drake used a few different shades of green here in this bedroom. I love the tufted headboard.

This cute watercolor painting is from HERE via etsy. "In the Clover No 4"

There are plenty of amazing green toned fabrics out there. I love this one, Palermo, by Carolina Irving--it comes in a few other colors, too.

Whenever I think of a clever use of the color green, I think of Florence de Dampierre's front door of her home in Litchfield CT. It's really great looking in person, too (I did a drive by about a month ago, okay??).

Chicagoans really get into the spirit and dye the Chicago River green!!! It looks toxic, yes, but what spirit that city has! Good usage of tax dollars?? Hmmm.

I don't' think I really have much green in my apartment except for some green vases here and there, or in a plant. Green, for me, means that spring (and Summer) are here and it's time to open your windows and let some life in! I don't' have plans for St Patty's Day, except to pack my bags because I'm leaving on a small vacation tomorrow! Do you all have plans?? Anyone in Chicago ever see that river turned green?


Alicia B.

What a racquet.

This weekend is going to be all about squash. I'm going to see my sister play her last squash matches of her CAREER before she retires as a college squash player. I played squash in college but wasn't nearly as good as my sister, but I love the game and the competition. How does this relate to interior design you ask? Well a lot of times people incorporate their hobbies into their designs. Tennis, squash, and even ping pong racquets can be used in design.

From Live Well Designs, Kyle Shuneman put antique tennis racquets above this bed. I like the way this looks with them alternating. In a close up though you can see that the strings have been replaced with mirrors. I don't' know if I LOVE that idea but I'll take it.

Jonathan Adler has created these fun geometric racquet covers in his Spring collection. I really would love one... Via Style Beat.

This room is full of fun classic sports equipment: croquet in the basket on the left, and the two antique racquets pointing towards the lovely glass cabinet. Suzanne Kasler via willow decor. I love everything in this room and I wish I could see more of those throw blankets flanking the patchwork rug.

You can customize a rug to have cute crossed racquet design like this one! This rug is in the Racquet Club of Philadelphia via THIS blog.

This design is totally plain Jane and I'm not happy with it BUT, I like the idea of hanging these racquets in somewhere utilitarian like a kitchen. This breakfast nooks seriously needs my help though. Via M English Design.

From Country Living, this DIY project is a project in which you place an oval cut mirror over the strings in each of these antique racquets.

Interested in buying your own antique racquets? I found some great ones on Etsy! HERE is a pretty one with a wooden frame! I bet there are some on Ebay as well. Just for the record I'm not a preppy obsessed designer. I don't have crossed racquets over my bed, they're in my parents' basement, okay??!! Decorating with object from a hobby though can be fun. Care to share? Also, GOOD LUCK to my sister! I don't' want to brag but, she's awesome at squash.


Alicia B.

Friday Faves

Fun doily tin decoration for all the cookies I'll be making (eating) this Christmas season!

It is the last Friday before Christmas and the second to last day of Hanukkah! I have nearly all of my Christmas gifts purchased and the last of it I will do this weekend when I finally have time. I have finished my class for the semester so that stress is behind me and I did pretty well so I'm quite happy about that. Here are the Friday Faves!

This year my family used a photograph that I took for our Christmas card! If you like it and want to buy one, I'm offering 20% off until next Monday. Time is limited and deals are GOOD. www.aliciabdesigns.com for more!

While I am a huge fan of antique or vintage ornaments, these little crocheted ones are so sweet! Its very cold today in NYC and these are making me feel warm already. From Etsy shop, Amy Gaines.

I love this warm interior by Miles Redd and the different mixes of patterns. I love how he put the Asian art work in the little mirror niche on either side of the fireplace.

Now I have to get cracking on my gifts. I have lots of ideas and I'm finding it so hard to narrow it down. I just love to GIVE (I also love to shop)! I might be going to a carol-sing this weekend with the beau, might play some squash, might get some more Christmas decorating done, and might have some egg nog! Egg nog anyone?

Alicia B.

Etsy Fun: Magark Shop

I slyly convinced my mother to get rid of our no longer functioning dry erase board in our mudroom at home and go for something fun and old school like an actual chalk board. Out of a few choices she decided on the one above! I'm excited to see how it looks and I really like the green board instead of a black one for this space. It will add some nice color to the otherwise white painted room.


After I cruised around Etsy, I went back to the store where the vintage chalkboard came from and admired mostly all of the store! Take a look at some of my favorites. Etsy vintage shops have been very good to me lately...just sayin.

A set of vintage post cards for $15. I think old post cards are so romantic when they've already been written on in old script to a friend or loved one. So sweet.

These ornate little frames for $8.95 would surely add interest to a gallery wall or any table as well.

Iron stone pitcher. I love a classic white pitcher and this one is only $ 6.95!

These bank sacks are only 2.50! I love how they say they must be returned to Boatmen's Bank when clearly they have escaped. These would make a really fun pillow.

This gold leaf wall sconce is also quite interesting. I think I'd painted it white though and hang it on my wall. Only $8.95

Even when I was writing this blog, the Etsy Seller, Magark, updated the shop with more fun items! This also goes back to what I was saying a few days ago. It doesn't have to take a ton of work and a whole big daunting change just to freshen up your home a little bit! For my mother, this one little item is going to make a world of difference in the mudroom and when I buy those bank sacks and make them into pillows, it will really make my living room look different.

Did you all have great Labor Day Weekends? I had a blast! I'll show you some pictures of our adventures later on this afternoon. Patience is a virtue.


Alicia B.

Felt Adventure at the Cooper Hewitt

Last night I decided to really take advantage of my Cooper Hewitt Museum Membership and I went to a Felt Workshop! I know, felt. It's weird. It's for weirdos with too many cats and people who do crafts on the subway. Well, it is kind of, but it's also incredibly fun (with super cool people too!) and creative.

The workshop was taught by Jessica Franks, from Brooklyn who just opened her own Etsy Shop, June Bug Felts after her incredible success at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn. She taught us that felting is creative, and a very physical process as well.

The designs can be very intricate or an abstract design. You can make pretty patches or bags as well. I personally think the bags are a little bit to indie, Brooklyn, I ride my bike everywhere to save money etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that I'm not cool enough to pull it off.

You can also do text! This Kiss More patch is only $30.

I was finally convinced a few weeks ago at one of Cooper Hewitt's Friday night garden parties after a few (one okay!?!?) glasses of wine that felt was actually really pretty and there was so much that you could do with it as a material. It's really just wool!

Also felt can be made into furniture. This one is at the Cooper Hewitt, too.


I did a big cursive A for mine! Amateur looking, but I really like it. Felt isn't always weird rock pets, right?

Alicia B.