the best of the last

the friday after thanksgiving is one of my favorite food days. my coworkers and i bring leftovers to work . this year we sampled each others' food as we sat on the 12th floor of a huge law firm, overlooking the terrace that overlooked the washington monument, the old post office pavillion and a beautiful, constantly changing sky. their turkey is always saltier and spicier than mine, they had green beans and butternut squash. i had anne's brussel sprouts and nele's red cabbage. we ate and ate. then around 3:00, we had lattes and gwen's ( my constant reader) delicious cranberry bread. if she would send me the recipe ( for the 50th time) i will post it here. you want to make this. last night i finished up the turkey in a pot pie topped with biscuits. tini feels we should just serve this on thanksgiving, it was that good. i give thanks the turkey is gone.

Holiday Gift Guide: Kitchen Edition

"Shots" would look perfect in any kitchen and quite an inspiration for a good baker!

This posting should really be titled: "I will accept any of these items with open arms", but alas, it is not. It's officially the holiday season now that we've pushed past Thanksgiving (I still have tons of leftovers, YUM), it's time to think about the season of giving no matter what you celebrate! Here are some great gift ideas for the kitchen.

I received these as a gift from my sister a few years ago and i will never forget how delicious, flaky, and buttery these croissants were. I wish I had some right now. From Williams Sonoma for $39.

I'm pretty sure that I gave this to my mother last year for her birthday as one of those gifts that says "I really want to keep this for myself but I guess you can have it." I love Italian food and the recipes that my mother has made so far have been so delish. Urban Italian from Amazon.com is only $23 but I suggest buying it from your local independent bookstore...

I seem to have started a collection of aprons from Anthropologie. I keep getting them as gifts and I'm not even sorry--they're adorable! The Twittering Tea Time apron is $28.

I just straight up need this. Le Creuset Mortar and Pestle from Bloomingdales for $38.

This is the perfect little colander for one serving of pasta and is the perfect size for a tiny New York kitchen. Also from Anthropologie for $12.

These jute wine bottle bags are perfect for a gift of wine! A set of four from Wisteria for $19.

This scalloped edge silver bowl is so gorgeous. It would be perfect for a little display of ornaments, or grapefruits in the kitchen! From Eddie Ross's Etsy Shop for $55.

I'm always offending people with my current bottle opener from college and this would be the perfect upgrade... I love keys too! The Castle Key bottle opener from Anthropologie for $12.

The Brook Farm General store has so much to offer, these hand towels being one of them. They are 100 % cotton and only $18.

How adorable and vintage is this VINTAGE ice bucket!? I love the round shape of it--perfect for the Holiday Cocktail party from Brook Farm General Store for $55.

Two things I love: objects in miniature and organizational goods! These mini numbered spice jars take care of both of my needs. Digit spice jars for $5 from Anthropoligie.

I love giving gifts just as much as I love to receive them but I'm sure these will all be big hits! I'm hoping to do a guide for every area of your life but we shall see. Happy Monday!


Alicia B.

Hello!

Sneak Peak of my Photo Show!

This weekend has been extremely relaxing but busy nonetheless. I had an entire corporate residence to design, math homework (eek), my little sister to spend lots of quality time with, and Black Friday deals to attend to! I got a moment to swing by and check up on my photography show in at Millrace Books in Farmington, CT and would love to share some of it with you!

It is set up in the gallery space of a small independent bookstore in the town where I grew up. I used to ride my bike there and get the latest American Girl books. Now I just love independent bookstores; they have such character. Above is a short description of my work!

The show is centered mainly around water. I love to photograph water.

Growing up in New England though, nothing quite gets me like nature or a beautiful sunset.

This one here was taken down on the Connecticut shore over the Fourth of July.

The show is up for one more month at Millrace Books, but this month really flies! I am very grateful for the opportunity to be able to show my work to more than just my family and friends. You know, photography makes a great gift, too! If you want to check out more, go for a day trip to Farmington, or take a look at my website, www.aliciabdesigns.com.


Alicia B.

november, ha!

my garden, she laughs at november. she'll bloom when she wants to.

sleep, soon

saturday night, home from work. feeling slightly greenish about those who have a 4 day holiday weekend. florists keep working. i think of thanksgiving as an unpaid workday. do other people's holiday dinners last till 12:45 am? rushed from dirty dishes at home to work on friday , compared cuts and burns on hands with workmates, then tore off with a crew of 5 to begin a two day decorating job at a BIG law firm. think i walked off my mashed potatoes yesterday. today, maybe a piece of apple pie. i'm going to post a few pics from dinner, then let the weekend eating commence!

O Christmas Tree

We broke the unwritten rule and put up my Christmas tree last night. Sometimes rules should be broken and this was one of those times.

They volunteered to do the lights. I am not patient with this step. I just want to get to the good stuff already. Our new accidental technique: icicle lights.

Delegating.

This is the make shift way the tree is being supported this year. I have no idea where the real stand has disappeared to. I'm missing a box of decorations, maybe it is in there too?

I think she could pull it off, don't you? Very festive and subtle.

The holiday season is already off to a beautiful start. We watched an all time favorite holiday movie {While You Were Sleeping} and while I loved the excuse of being out of the country last year to skip all the frantic shopping I'm still going with less is more this year and hoping for an emphasis on relaxation and good memories.