designs by alicia

bacon, gruyere, green onion scones

2011-09-17T18:46:00.001-04:00

Time out for another great recipe: Thanks to spoon fork bacon, I made these today. I substituted pancetta for bacon. They are just as yummy as they look.

cheer on the home team

2011-09-13T15:30:00.000-04:00

Knowing my friends love sports, here's one for the baseball enthusiasts. It works for tee-ball, little league, college sports, and the MLB. Play ball!

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

celebrate the joy of reading

2011-09-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

This year the Library of Congress is celebrating the joy of reading with the 11th Annual National Book Festival on September 24 and 25. Come to the National Mall and hear from your favorite authors. I'll be volunteering with the Junior League of Washington in the book signing lines both days.

go dawgs!

2011-09-11T15:28:00.002-04:00

My college roommate and her husband are hosting a baby shower for a couple who attended UGA, and M wanted a bit of college cheer.

Red, black, and bit of white. Go Dawgs.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

nonna's lemon ricotta biscuits

2011-08-07T15:12:00.003-04:00

I had a tub of ricotta cheese that I got from my CSA that needing using. Google brought me to this. Thanks to my CSA, I've had most of the fresh ingredients already on hand.

lemon ricotta muffins

originally by giada de laurentiis

adapted by me (alicia)

ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened (from my CSA)

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest (approx 2 lemons)

1 large egg (from my CSA)

1 cup ricotta cheese (giada recommends whole milk ricotta)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup kosher salt

1 cup milk (from my CSA)

frozen blueberries, however much you want

Preheat oven to 350. Line 18 muffin cups with baking liners (her recipe says 12 muffins but I had plenty of batter to spare).

In a mixer, beat on high together the butter, sugar and lemon zest (approx 2 minutes). Add the egg; beat. Add the lemon juice; beat. Add the ricotta; beat.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Incorporate in three passes the dry ingredients and alternate with milk. Mix until incorporated.

Add in the blueberries, mix until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the muffin liners.

Bake for approx 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container, in the fridge.

Enjoy.

You can use whatever citrus you want for flavor: lemon, lime, orange. Add more zest if you want more punch.

Note: I always use a fresh box of baking powder when baking...just rotate it with the one in the fridge and use the old one for cleaning.

easy berry dessert

2011-08-06T13:55:00.002-04:00

I love berry season.

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup sugar, divided in half

3/4 cup milk

2 cups berries (frozen or fresh), I used cherries

1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter in an 8x8 pan and place it in the preheating oven, until the butter is melted.

In another bowl, mix dry ingredients together, only using 1/4 cup sugar (reserve the other 1/4 cup). Add the milk and stir together until smooth.

In the buttered pan, dump your mixed ingredients on top of the butter; do not incorporate, just drop. Place your berries on top of the batter; again, do not mix, just drop. With the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, sprinkle it on top of the batter and berries.

Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream and/or whipped topping.

Yum.

courtesy whole foods

burp cloths surprise

2010-05-03T11:09:00.000-04:00

I've shown you the front of the burp cloths, but what's on the back? A label so you can come back for more!

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

unisex

2010-05-02T11:08:00.000-04:00

Don't know whether the baby is a boy or a girl? I've got some great fabrics that work for both!

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

black and yellow

2010-05-01T11:05:00.000-04:00

I think black and white is classic and paired with the pale yellow stars, make a great gift.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

orange

2010-04-30T11:04:00.002-04:00

I love this orange and yellow check; too bad this is the last of the stash!

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

burp cloths for girls

2010-04-29T10:59:00.000-04:00

Anyone having a baby girl? I know several of my friends are, and in preparation for their baby showers, this is what I have in collection. (I do love pink!).

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

sports

2010-04-28T10:55:00.001-04:00

College friend L and her husband S are having a baby girl in August. Her shower is coming up; I'm excited because Snicks and I get to travel to NC and visit our friends, as well as celebrate baby B's upcoming birth. L and S are both teachers (she elementary education; he high school history). S is also a high school soccer coach. So anything I give to them has to have a soccer ball in it; luckily I found this fabric several years (!) ago and have hoarded it just for them. They also get a Wake Forest burp cloth (S went to UNC, but I see baby B as a Demon Deacon!). Hope they enjoy their bundle of joy!

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

pooh

2010-04-27T10:53:00.001-04:00

All of my friends know that I love Winnie the Pooh. Of course, he and his friends have to make it into my burp cloth repertoire. This is Disney Pooh fabric; I would love to find Classic Pooh fabric, if anyone can point me in that direction.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

my alma mater

2010-04-26T10:49:00.001-04:00

My college roommate - and sorority sister - M is having a baby any day now. Again, she and her husband D didn't find out the sex of the baby beforehand; they want to be surprised. But, I had no problems in deciding what to make for them. Both M and D went to law school at Wake, so I knew my college fabric would be perfect for them. Now they can display that Demon Deacon spirit wherever they go! Congrats to M and D on their little one.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

gift for baby c

2010-04-25T10:43:00.003-04:00

I got on a roll this weekend, getting baby gifts ready for four of my friends. My friend T's shower is next weekend. She doesn't know if it's a boy or a girl so I had to make burp cloths for an unknown. I used a lot of orange, which I'm kind of liking right now. The baby shower invitation also said to bring books to start the C's library. Frog and Toad are a favorite of mine, so into the gift bag they go.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

fabric for burp cloths

2010-04-24T19:52:00.002-04:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of my fabric stash so you can see what I have to help you order your burp cloths. Please let me know if you want me to put together a set for you.

bloomers for baby lucy

2010-01-12T17:45:00.001-05:00

Expanding my collection...bloomers for baby Lucy.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

onesies for baby lucy

2010-01-11T17:30:00.001-05:00

Onesies for baby Lucy, size 3-6 month; 9 month; and 12 month.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

burp clothes for baby lucy

2010-01-10T21:20:00.003-05:00

My friend from college - A - and her husband P are expecting a baby girl in early March (and because I don't have a birthday this year, I'm rooting for a February 28 or a March 1 baby). Below are the burp clothes that I made for them.

Go Deacs!

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

IBOL update

2009-08-28T00:41:00.000-04:00

My bundle showed up in Iraq - http://ibol.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/just-one/

future nascar drivers

2009-08-16T14:38:00.003-04:00

Two future Nascar drivers, you can never start early enough.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

my iraqi bundle of love

2009-08-15T13:43:00.002-04:00

I came across this site and put together this bundle to put in a box to send across the ocean. Repost, retweet, resend...it's all about taking that one small step.

All of those goodies up above, got wrapped into this bundle and tied with this lovely yellow and blue ribbon.

twins

2009-08-09T20:50:00.004-04:00

I did a little embroidery for my friend K - she needed an A embroidered on these little hats, one for a baby boy and the other, a baby girl.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

National Book Festival

2009-08-05T18:05:00.003-04:00

All I can so is that I am very exited for this year's National Book Festival...Paula Deen, Judy Blume, Jeanette Walls, Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson, just to name a few. Save the date...September 26...you'll find me on the Mall in the book signing lines area, where once again the Junior League of Washington will be providing 400 volunteers.

baby burp cloth and bag

2009-03-16T20:15:00.002-04:00

My friends M & N are having a baby boy; she's due any day now. I'm sending a bag for her and a set of burp cloths for the baby as a welcome present. I know they'll get lots of use out of them.

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

future air guitar player

2009-03-15T20:02:00.005-04:00

My friend, who asked me to call her "Eagle Eye," needs a fun gift for an upcoming baby shower. Apparently the father-to-be plays air guitar and has even gone to the national championships -- so she wanted a onesie entitled "future air guitar player."

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

burp cloths

2009-03-07T17:38:00.004-05:00

My friends J and C are having a baby in April. They are waiting to find out the sex of the baby, so at their baby shower, I had to give something gender neutral. What better than a set of burp cloths - you can never have too many to help clean up after the little one. Now, if only I knew the intials of the baby, then I'd be able to do something really fancy...

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

a baby girl

2009-01-24T15:02:00.003-05:00

My friend E's shower is next weekend. She's having a little girl - here's part of her gift, two t-shirts, already personalized for the little one to come. (Let's hope she doesn't read the blog!)

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

Twins!

2009-01-20T07:27:00.002-05:00

My friends J and S are having twin boys. So two boys must mean two gifts. Two little sleeper sacks for two precious boys. You'll be able to tell them apart by their intials!

Want something personalized? Email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

Salsa Heiress

2009-01-19T19:10:00.005-05:00

Two items for my friend J - an onesie and a receiving blanket. Her sister is having a baby girl and J thought it would be cute to have something related to a jalapeno and salsa (the little girl's daddy can make a mean salsa - he even wins competitions).

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

Africa Pictures, Part II

2008-09-07T08:02:00.000-04:00

More pictures of Africa for you to enjoy.

future baseball player

2008-09-06T16:52:00.003-04:00

A onesie for baby Sawyer, who's daddy played baseball in college.

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

Africa

2008-08-24T18:25:00.005-04:00

I've uploaded the highlight reel of pictures of my vacation in southern Africa with my family. Enjoy.

Sew Gracious Giveaway

2008-07-05T11:31:00.002-04:00

Go visit Sew Gracious and enter to win a free tote! I do love the black and white tote with the pink ribbon (I love pink!).

future rock star onesie

2008-04-12T16:41:00.002-04:00

This onesie was created for my friend J. Baby Grant's father plays the guitar, so it's expected that this trait will be passed along to his son.

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

creative onesies

2008-03-31T20:05:00.002-04:00

Old college friends N and K contacted me to create some onesies. K's mentor is having a baby and they wanted a unique gift. Below are the onesies I created for them.

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

stinky onesies

2008-03-30T07:15:00.000-04:00

Two new onesies now in my collection - oops poops for the baby boy and stinkerella for the baby girl. These two are different, in that they are on the flap of the onesie - instead of the chest. But it makes for a great conversation piece!

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

one-of-a-kind napkins

2008-03-29T19:13:00.003-04:00

My friends b and c are getting married - these were part of her shower gift!

martha stewart show!

2008-02-28T19:21:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday, I had the great fortune to be in the audience for a taping of the Martha Stewart Show. In celebration of Leap Day - the entire audience was born on February 29!

My friend Caitlin and I both went to New York City and got to be part of the audience. Behind us you see Martha's kitchen.

The show is airing on February 29! Watch it to see more of what happens...

applique onesies

2008-02-23T20:55:00.003-05:00

Another onesie from my repertoire... This one involved appliqué of fabric to the onesie and then embroidering the lettering.

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

lil' princess onesie

2008-02-22T17:15:00.002-05:00

For the Lil' Princess in your life...

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

4 lucy bags

2008-02-21T19:42:00.002-05:00

Four little Lucy bags...all lined up.

onesies for little r

2008-02-06T21:01:00.001-05:00

these onesies are a baby shower gift for little r's mommy.

close up of the designs on the onesies:

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

fingerless gloves

2008-01-21T09:07:00.000-05:00

I found these gloves on the purl bee the other month, and loved the way the fingers stuck out! So I went and gathered all the necessary supplies - spent some time with my new number 7 needles, number 8 needles, and 4 skeins of yarn - and ta da! Look what emerged - one fingerless glove. Now the trick: knit the matching pair. Stay tuned...

lucy bag, part II

2008-01-02T20:40:00.001-05:00

The afore mentioned Lucy Bag took a bath in hot water last night - here's the picture after the first wash.

It still needed a little more felting, so into the wash it took another bath in hot water...AND...ta da! Here it is:

Now I'm working on a pink one (because we know how much I love pink). Who knows, a Lucy bag might be in your future.

luggage tags

2008-01-01T17:45:00.000-05:00

Now that all the Christmas gifts have been given out, I can post more pictures of my handmade gifts. These are the luggage tags.

Everyone in my family (dad, mom, and brother J), went to the University of Arizona (yes, I'm the odd ball who went to the East Coast for school). Here's a luggage tag for each of them:

These luggage tags are for my friends, R, J, and A.

lucy bag, part I

2008-01-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

Over the break, I began knitting a "Lucy Bag" from Two Old Bags. It is made from 100% wool - and then when you throw it in the washing machine under hot water, it becomes a felted bag.

Here's the first picture in this series. This is the bag in it's 100% knitted wool stage, right off the needles:

Stay tuned for the next part of the series, where the bag meets hot water and begins to shrink and take shape. More to come!

initial onesies

2007-12-17T20:39:00.001-05:00

Initial onesies - they make a great present for the new little one in your life!

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

more onesies, part II

2007-12-16T19:28:00.002-05:00

Another onesie design for the baby-to-come.

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

more onesies

2007-12-15T19:20:00.001-05:00

Little baby M is still months away; these onesies were made for as part of a Christmas gift. One says "daddy loves me;" the other says "mommy loves me."

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

headbands

2007-11-24T19:38:00.001-05:00

With time on my hands the past few days, I've been putting together and assembling various Christmas presents. Below is one of several gifts you might be receiving...

I made these from foofanagle's headband tutorial. With my big head, I can never fit in a store bought plastic headband, but with the tiny piece of elastic down at the bottom of this headband, it fits like a glove!

buttons

2007-11-19T20:16:00.001-05:00

Remember the pink and green fabric I had? I used the scraps to make some button magnets. An assortment of these might be in a gift bag, headed your way.

I also had to make some larger button magnets out of my Wake fabric - go Deacs!

fabric by mail

2007-11-15T21:23:00.001-05:00

Last week, I won a gift certificate from Sew Mama Sew. Today, these fabrics arrived in the mail! I can't wait to make something beautiful out of them.

pink and green

2007-11-11T15:31:00.000-05:00

Today I started with several pieces of fabric - and cut them into 6 1/2 by 8 inch rectangles.

From one set of fabric, I created a tissue holder.

From another set, I created a luggage tag. The luggage tag still needs perfecting, but it's a start, right?

little e

2007-11-06T19:48:00.001-05:00

These washcloths were made for little e. I wanted to show them off, as you can't see them very well in her basket.

baby onesies, part II

2007-11-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

Another of my onesies creation, with the help of my friend A and a bottle of wine. This onesie was made for baby A - her daddy went to the University of Kentucky, home of the fighting Wildcats. They loved it.

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

pin cushions

2007-11-02T18:55:00.001-04:00

Today is pin cushion day (at least on the Sew Mama Sew blog, 30 days of handmade it is). I wanted to show off my new needle book and pin cushion, made by Jenn. They are lovely and will give me lots of help with my sewing.

30 days of homemade

2007-11-01T20:09:00.000-04:00

This holiday season, I am going to try and make homemade gifts for my friends and family. In this vein, I am so excited that Sew Mama Sew is helping me out. They are providing 30 days of gifts to sew in November. A new gift to think about each day. For more information - and to see what you might be getting in your gift bag, check out the Sew Mama Sew blog.

happy halloween

2007-10-31T20:05:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween! For Snickers' first Halloween, she is dressed as a ballerina.

trish's key fob

2007-10-30T19:19:00.000-04:00

Remember how I made the preppy key fobs for my mom's friend? Well, she loved them (of course!). Here she is with her birthday present.

j's baby onesies

2007-10-27T14:14:00.001-04:00

I made these baby onesies for my friend J. Her niece was born a few months ago, and they are a gift for her.

Here's a close up picture of the two onesies that are pictures:

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

baby onesies

2007-10-27T08:26:00.001-04:00

This onesie was made for a family where the wife is originally from Texas. Their daughter was recently born, and in order to visit the grandparents, she needed a little Texas flair. No one knows how to do it better than a native Texan herself (that's me!).

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

placemat purse

2007-10-26T20:39:00.000-04:00

One of my first purse creations from last year - it's a placemat purse! I took a standard placemat, added a monogram; folded it in half and sewed up the sides; then added the straps and the button. Easy as pie!

baby basket

2007-10-26T18:49:00.001-04:00

One of the dear families I know recently had a baby girl. I put together the following basket for her as a christening gift:

Inside are five onesies (personalized and embroidered with her name), two washcloths, a skirt, a book, and bubble bath.

A close up of the patterns on a few of the onesies:

If you would like some onesies personalized, please email me at designsbyalicia at gmail dot com with your ideas, and I'll work with you to come up with a great gift.

sew it kit

2007-10-24T20:25:00.000-04:00

I recently bought Amy Butler's new Sew-It Kit.

And inside are these beautiful fun pattern cards! It even has the fabric and thread for the tissue box holder. I'm looking forward to creating some lovely pieces. Stay tuned for my first piece...

more amy butler

2007-10-23T20:33:00.000-04:00

In my discovery of looking for new things, I also picked up Amy Butler's In Stitches. She has easy to follow directions and great patterns inside. I can't wait to see what else in in store.

college football

2007-10-22T19:40:00.000-04:00

This weekend, some friends and I went to the Wake vs Navy game in Annapolis. We had a great time. Navy has some great traditions - below is a picture of March On. Before the start of the game, all of the Midshipmen march onto the field.

The best part of the game - WAKE WON! Final score 44-24. Go Deacs!

pretty...I mean preppy key fobs

2007-10-18T19:20:00.000-04:00

Here are some more key fobs - I made these for a friend of my mom's - they are made of 1 1/2 inch grosgrain ribbon and are 6 inches in length. Stay tuned, as I'll be posting some more pretty ribbon samples you can choose from to have your very own monogrammed preppy key fob.

black and gold key fobs

2007-10-16T19:57:00.000-04:00

I made the following group of black and gold key rings for some girls the other week. I thought I'd share with you. The black grosgrain ribbon is 2 1/2 inches wide, and the length is 6 inches.

new fabric

2007-10-15T19:58:00.000-04:00

Last week I ordered fabric from Alison and it arrived today. Isn't it gorgeous? As we all know, I love pink.

bench cover

2007-10-15T19:51:00.000-04:00

In my arts and crafts fit, I made this yesterday. It's a blue floral home drapery fabric, and I used elastic to create the ribbing around the edges.

lavender sachets

2007-10-14T16:22:00.001-04:00

This was my first foray into arts and crafts. I used an embroidery machine to embroider the monogram on a piece of muslim. I then used a serger to close the bag, and stuffed it with dried lavender buds. I stick them in my drawer, in the closet, and even in the dryer!

welcome

2007-10-13T16:15:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog. This is a place where I'll showcase my latest creations. Hope you enjoy them!