GRAND OPENING TOMORROW ~ May 1st!

Wow! I can't believe it is almost here already. The GRAND OPENING of Bella Rosa Antiques. We've been very busy getting ready. Tomorrow we select a winner of the 15.00 Gift Voucher towards merchandise. There's lots to choose from:

Vintage Crown Rhinestone & Pearl Pin

Aqua Rhinestone Pin


"Millefiori" Scarab Type Bracelet
(Millefiori means "a thousand flowers")

Vintage Shoe/Button Hooks

Rose "Y" Necklace

(Adjustable Chain Length)

Vintage Hatpin

Rose Needle Crewelwork Picture


There's still time to enter. Just click on this LINK to take you directly to our site. Sign the guestbook and let us know how to contact you if you win! To be honest, there aren't a whole lot of entries so far ... your chances of winning are very GOOD! Have fun and of course, have a very BELLA day!

Ephemera ~ What is it? Vintage Postcards, Letters, Calling Cards...PLUS Giveaway Has 1 Week Left!

Everyday we probably use all kinds of paper items that get tossed in the trash. Some people save these printed pieces for either sentimental reasons, or for financial records, or for family history.

How many of you save the greeting cards sent by family and friends? And if you save them, for what purpose? I save Christmas cards for several years and then after awhile, make them into cute and fun gift tags to use on next year's packages. But, this would mean the cards were no longer in their original condition.

So this is what leads me to today's post. Ephemera. That is what this paper stuff is called and the much older pieces are highly collectible today. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the term ephemera means "the printed matter of passing interest." Or dictionary.com puts it like this: "items designed to be useful or important for only a short time, esp. pamphlets, notices, tickets, etc."

Luckily some people decided to save some of their paper items. Really collectible items are things like a Civil War document, a letter signed by a famous person, or a deed to a famous piece of real estate.

My favorites are vintage postcards, letters, old photos, wedding invitations, marriage certificates, calling cards, etc. Some of the beautiful images are still vibrant and stunning to this day.

We've added an "Ephemera" category to Bella Rosa Antiques with some lovely vintage rose items. We'll be adding more in the future so check back if you love pretty paper things!

There's just ONE WEEK left 'til a winner is chosen in our May 1st GRAND OPENING Giveaway! For more details on how to win a $15.00 voucher towards merchandise/shipping click here.

Vintage Celluloid Collar Box - History

One of the things I have always loved about antiques are the mysteries behind them. The more time passes, the more things change for the next generations. Sadly, this leaves behind traditions and customs we don't use anymore and most often are forgotten about.

Thank you, this has sold!

When I found this collar box to place on the Bella Rosa Antiques website, I mainly bid on it because of the rose decoration. But the more I thought about it ... the more I wondered why they were even made. We certainly don't remove our collars these days. Here is a little bit of history I found on Wikipedia:

"Having a false collar allows the shirt to be washed without the special washing method that a starched collar requires. Although they have fallen out of favour for everyday use, starched collars are often worn when wearing a white tie. Having a false collar ensures that the wings of a winged collar don't droop. Starching of detachable collars involves the dipping of the collar into a solution of starch and water before cooking the starch with a hot iron and curling the stiff collar by slowly drawing the collar between the board and the iron. The result is a pristinely white, smooth, stiff collar that holds its shape until it is washed. Detachable collars are typically kept in a collar box; a small, circular box in which the collars can better keep their shape."

This leads me to wonder about the women who were starching and ironing these collars. I can't even imagine doing this today. I don't even iron my regular clothes. Out of the dryer they go, right onto the hanger, with hopefully little to no wrinkles! Oh how things have changed.

The Bella Rosa Antiques Giveaway is on... please feel free to stop by and sign our GUESTBOOK. We're giving away a 15.00 merchandise voucher to celebrate the GRAND OPENING at the beginning of May! Click HERE for more details. Buona Fortuna! (Good luck!)

Bella Rosa Antiques ~ A GIVEAWAY!

Oh my! Where do I begin? I am having so much fun setting up the new Bella Rosa Antiques website. Things are coming along nicely and I do hope you enjoy what you find. I'm so excited about it, I've decided to have a giveaway, leading up to the Grand Opening!

Here's how it works:

1. Go to the Bella Rosa Antiques website by clicking on this link.

2. Click on "Guestbook" on the left hand side.

3. Leave me a message in the guestbook and add something like "I was sent here from your blog!"

4. You can only enter once.

5. You'll be entered to win a voucher for $ 15.00 towards merchandise on the website!

6. Winner will be announced in about three weeks with a date to be determined for the Grand Opening of Bella Rosa Antiques. More information to follow.



Isn't this beaded bag adorable? I was so excited when I found it it just shouted "I'm so Bella Rosaaaaaaaa" when I saw it. Items are already available for purchase so if you see something you like, you don't have to wait for the "Grand Opening." My purpose for having a Grand Opening is more of a PR and marketing thing...(oh boy, does that ever sound so corporate?) Also, I would love to test out the site and who better to help me out than my blogger gal pals. If you find any snafu's... please email me and let me know so I may make corrections as soon as possible. I'm getting the hang of the website technology but I'm still figuring it out.

I'll be adding more inventory as we go along to replace sold items, so keep checking back and good luck on the giveaway. Most importantly, thank you for all of your support and kind words. They have been a big help and I really appreciate them.

Have a very BELLA day!