Going Daffy

Now here's the kind of daffy I like! The daffodils are in full bloom around our house. They peep out of the ground even when the leaves on the trees have not made their appearance. Signs of spring, cheerful hello's from the ground.

I'm loving it.

Yard Sales: What's Your Philosophy?

To me, there is nothing like coming out of a cold winter into warmer weather. Flowers start popping up and so do the yard sale signs.

Before I became an antique dealer, I rarely ever went to a yard sale. But for the past 8 or 9 years, I've really enjoyed them. My hubby can't AVOID them. He's driven to them like a moth to a flame. Lately it is getting harder and harder to find antique items at sales. The competition is fierce! That's why I rely on auctions to find the good stuff. But, sometimes a yard sale can be a great place for a treasure.

Here are some of the things I've learned about them if you're really interested in finding neat stuff:

1) Have your sales mapped out the night before.

2) Get up early. Get up early. Get up early.

3) Learn how to scan the tables quickly.

4) Don't be afraid to pick something up before you're

sure you actually want it. If you don't, someone else will.

5) Don't be shy about looking through boxes. I've found some of the

greatest items inside a box. If it's out there, it's waiting to be found.

6) Move on quickly to the next sale.

One year my husband and I were on vacation (yes, we even do this on vacation!) in a very rural part of Maine and went to sales even though we had no idea where we were going. It was a very interesting experience. You had to go to the local supermarket, look on their bulletin board, find the sales tacked on to it and then jump in the car and go hunting them down. Since we were not from the area we followed some of the other locals who had come to see what was tacked on the board. It was kind of like "The Amazing Race" for yard sales. They caught on pretty quickly that we were serious yard salers and they split themselves up into two groups so they could beat us to the next sale! It was very funny when we heard one of the ladies remark "Oh, we've got some outta stata's!" (out of staters.)


My husband and I have different philosophy's on how to yard sale. If I can't have fun then I don't want to do it. He feels if he can't get to them as fast as possible then why bother. So, we try to compromise and get a little of both in. Sometimes his way works better and sometimes my way works better. With a little patience, you can find a real gem you may not have noticed because you didn't stay long enough.

What's your favorite way to yard sale?

JUST LISTED! Vintage Clock Faces, Pin Ornaments, Mirror, Shabby Rose Plates

This week seemed to go by in a flash. Where does the time go?

Thank you, these have SOLD!

This past weekend the weather warmed up a lot. Just enough to tease me into thinking spring was finally here. Ha! It did get colder this week. Rats!

I do know it is short term because daylight savings is already in effect (yay!) and March 21st isn't too far away either. Not that it's going to be like Florida around here but one can hope.

I finally got a chance to load the rest of my latest inventory onto the Bella Rosa website. There's so many neat things to photograph and I love to display each piece to make it interesting to view on the site. Sometimes window shopping can be fun, too! I know...I like to look at all of the other bloggers stores and "shop." But every now and then I find something I just HAVE TO HAVE!

So here is my latest inventory in the "Just Listed" category, as well as the item's regular category. I created the "Just Listed" section to make it easy to see at a quick glance the "newest" stuff if you are a regular visitor.



These scalloped edged plates are soooooo neat because they have that vintage patina built in from time gone by. A dainty pink rose border is the perfect touch. I have some of the same pattern in Dear Bebe's nursery. Remember I did the baby meets shabby chic theme? I used the large meat platter as a tray to hold all of her lotions and other bottles on the dresser.

This little mirror (4" x 4") is too cute. I'm wondering if it came off of an old vintage photo album? I think it's great making it's own little statement all by itself.




Cake plates and I have a thing for each other. I love to buy (and collect) them and somehow they keep finding me! Especially this one with all of the pastel roses.


These pin ornaments are older and I just love the velvet pastel colors someone chose for the base. Too sweet! Secretly I'm thinking how great they are going to look this Christmas if they don't sell. Isn't that backwards? I'm supposed to hope they SELL. Not the other way around. I learned when you become an antique dealer you need lots of storage. Either that or will power. Seems like I have neither!

As always,

Antiquing: A Common Interest

(Thank you, this has SOLD!)

This blog is mostly about my latest finds for the website, Bella Rosa Antiques. Sometimes I post about the actual items themselves with a bit of history. Today's post is more about the story behind me and my Dear Hubby.


We have some things in common, which really helps our relationship. And you may be surprised to know we met online! I had listed my bio on "Love at AOL" and said I was looking for a man who enjoyed antiquing. I didn't think I would have too many replies on that request....but the one that did was a keeper! I guess the rest is history, as they say.

So our love for vintage things keeps us busy. While we may have different things we are interested in, we can both enjoy going out and hunting down old stuff. We go to antique stores, co-ops, auctions, estate sales, moving sales, and yard sales. I still think the best way to get the really good stuff is at an auction. I've seen some of the most beautiful and unique items sold this way.


My hubby likes vintage toys. I like old books, porcelain items or glassware. There are other random items that will catch my eye as well. Art, ephemera, and vintage fashions (clothes, hats, shoes, handbags!)



We haven't been to an auction lately and I'm getting the urge to go to one. But it also looks like spring is coming soon too...it will be great to go to local sales as well. I love the estate sales or moving sales. But this year we have a new addition to the family...our Dear Bebe...it will be interesting to see if she joins us in our love for antiquing as she gets older.

For now, we'll bring her along in her stroller and hope for the best!