Second Chance Tuesday #10 - Haul Out the Holly!

Welcome to Second Chance Tuesday! I can't believe I've been doing this for ten weeks already. Time flies by so fast! Christmas will be here before we know it. So without further ado I am highlighting some festive items from my shop that deserve a SECOND CHANCE.



Three vintage Christmas postcards from the early 1900's all with a holly theme. These are great to tuck in here or there with your fresh greenery.

This brooch just says "Holiday sweater" or "White coat lapel"!

I think there is one of these silver bottle brush wreaths left. Small, they make a great little extra for your vignette...or even an ornament if you have a big tree!

Silver sparkle garlands are thinning out but I do have a few to choose from in time for this year.
And this little brush is so cute. It was never used, still in its original gift box (Christmas themed!) I've decided it is either a personal lint brush or a brush to get rid of all those pesky tree needles!

Hope your Thanksgiving was relaxing and fun. Thank you for taking a second look with me today!

If you'd like to take part with something that you think deserves a second chance, here is a Mr. Linky:

Merry Holidays?

Could it be that time of year already?

Time to get out the Christmas decor.

Time to turn the house from autumn festive into Winter Wonderland!

My old tradition used to be (before Bebe): tree decorating on Black Friday. Now, not so much. I'm still not able to put out the vintage glass ornaments, except on the highest branches so I'm not as excited as I used to be. In due time.

I did get in the mood last week when my Mother (Ms. Daisy) and I went to the auction for our annual Thanksgiving Eve tradition.

I brought home a couple of these little guys for the shop. Not old but festive! I just now noticed his little sign however.

MERRY HOLIDAYS??????

What is up with that? If I get time I may make a new sign.... which reads MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Can I get an Amen?

I'll be back for Second Chance Tuesday tomorrow. I'm still trying to catch up from Pink Saturday...

We Gave Thanks

This year Thanksgiving went by so fast. It usually does when you are the hosting family.

My favorite part of the "task" is setting the table. My favorite part of the day is visiting with family.

I found this china at an estate auction a few years ago. I didn't realize how well the pattern went with my placemats until I arrived home. For 12.50, I think I did pretty good! China is soooo easy to buy these days at auctions. No one wants to pack them up and lug it all home.

Another year to be thankful for. We are truly blessed!

Second Chance Tuesday #9 ~ Dreaming of a Pink Christmas

Welcome to Second Chance Tuesday where we take a second look at either a blog post we really liked or items from our shops.... or whatever you may decide needs a second chance.

Today I'm dreaming of a pink Christmas! These items are from my Bella Rosa Antiques shop:



After I listed these pink/silver/ivory ornaments I thought (ut oh maybe I'd like to keep these!) But I gathered up my will power and did the right thing! (They have just been marked down just for Second Chance Tuesday!)


While these candle clips are not pink.... they are the right mix for a vintage pink tree.

Vintage pink Christmas corsage. It has lots of pink sparkle!

These little houses are fun...this one is definitely PINK! Note the blue tree...

Pretty in pink glass bird ornament.... really like this one....

A bit of a holiday bauble, maybe from a corsage or wreath .... I've turned it into an ornament.

And this last pink rose ornament is sooooo sweet, I have no idea why it is still in the shop. It has just the perfect pink iridescent sheen and glitter in the right places.

And now if you'd like to join in for Second Chance Tuesday, here is a Mr. Linky below:

PS. I know it is a little bit early but I'm going to be super busy this week going to see Michael Buble (yay!), attending an auction and having Thanksgiving.... SO I am also linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound. (Her linky will be up on Friday.)

Thanksgiving: A Little Different This Year

This week I have a lot to look forward to. Thanksgiving week so of course we'll be roasting a turkey with all the trimmings. Family is due to arrive too! Always exciting and fun. PLUS a trip to the auction, an annual tradition I just can't miss. The anticipation of what sweet little gems I might find for the shop always puts an extra spring in my step.

But this year something different is happening. There's something in the air. Something that makes my feet want to move!

Maybe it is due to the two tickets that just arrived for Dear Hubs and I in the mail:



I'll be back for Second Chance Tuesday tomorrow, but I may still be swaying to the rythym on turkey day. If I don't get a chance to say this, I'm going to say it now....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Ba ba ba na na na....na na na......

Latest Finds with A Little History on Daguerrotypes

I'm fascinated by old pictures. Even more so when they come in these wee little, ornate cases with a velvet lining.

Daguerrotypes were created by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre in France. The process makes a detailed image on a copper plated sheet with a thin coat of silver. No negatives were used.

The next part is a bit more scientific and tricky and I'm borrowing a snippet from the Library of Congress (American Memory) website:

The process required great care. The silver-plated copper plate had first to be cleaned and polished until the surface looked like a mirror. Next, the plate was sensitized in a closed box over iodine until it took on a yellow-rose appearance. The plate, held in a lightproof holder, was then transferred to the camera. After exposure to light, the plate was developed over hot mercury until an image appeared. To fix the image, the plate was immersed in a solution of sodium thiosulfate or salt and then toned with gold chloride.

I'm seriously wondering about that mercury and how dangerous that was to work with!


They were then placed in these neat little cases called the "Union Case."

Decorative and fancy, people probably really cherished these images. Something we take for granted today.

Dear Hubs went to an auction in our neighborhood area and found some really cool stuff, this being one of them.

Some of our other finds are below:

This brooch is gorgeous in person. The camera does't quite capture the essence of marcasite. Lovely sterling silver piece. Wear as a pendant or a pin.


Marriage vow book with the brides original copper nameplate... her name is imprinted on the plate ready to produce cards or stationery. I'm thinking the copper alone is worth the price!

This was one of my favorite pieces this week.

Sterling mother of pearl ring.


For the chippy/shabby fan....antique school books "Normal Mental Arithemetic."

Hmmmm. What would the abnormal math be like????

Sterling silver flower pin

Victorian die cut scraps and calling cards..great for crafters and paper/mixed media artists. I love the turquoise fan!

All (and more not shown) in our JUST LISTED category.

Whispers of White (Wednesday)

Even though our digital world takes beautiful pictures in today's technology...



I can't help but love old black and white pictures.

Something about vintage white clock faces and crisp seashells too...

Pretty vintage roses would't pop off their backgrounds... if they weren't white

The panes of the window framed in perfect old white woodwork

And the ultimate white... vintage wedding cake toppers!

Today I'm joining White Wednesday over on Faded Charm.

Second Chance Tuesday #8 - Transferware History

Welcome to Second Chance Tuesday where we take a second look ... either an item from your online shop, in your home, or a favorite blog post you'd like to "Re-run."

Today I'm pulling up a blog post from two years ago about the history of transferware.



Transferware has made a comeback in home decorating. The beautiful designs and colors blend well into today's looks and styles. There are many to choose from ... do you have a style or color you like?



Here is a little bit of history on how it was made from Eras of Elegance.com:



"English transferware" refers to ceramics (china, ironstone, etc.) which has been glazed using a specific decorative treatment, and traditionally produced in Staffordshire, England. Popular manufacturers of transferware include Spode, Ridgway, Adams, Clews, Johnson Brothers, and Wedgwood. The transfer printing process was developed by John Sadler and Guy Green of Liverpool in 1756. The process uses copper plates on which a pattern or design is etched. The copper plate is inked and the pattern "transferred" to a special tissue. The inked tissue is then laid onto a bisque-fired ceramic item, which is then glazed and fired again. Initially, patterns were transferred to the ceramic items after glazing, but the ink often wore off. This "underprinting" is characteristic to transferware; if you look closely at a transferware item, you can often see where the transfer design ends. Often these are the areas where the pattern doesn't quite match.



Transfer printing was originally produced in single-color items only, with the favorite hues in blue, red, black, brown, purple and green. Brown tended to be rather a common and inexpensive color, while blue was the most sought after and expensive color. Later, technology developed to allow double or triple color transfers."




The process of transferring the images onto porcelain and china became popular and obviously much cheaper than handpainting each piece so they sold quickly to middle class families. I'm not sure which color I like the best.

Check out our Bella Rosa Antiques website and click under "Vintage China" to find a piece you may like!



Feel free to join SECOND CHANCE TUESDAY by grabbing the SCT logo at the top of this post and by signing up with Mr. Linky below:

Inspiration ~ Capturing Ideas

Everyone needs a little inspiration. I forgot how much I enjoy reading about how Rachel Ashwell is inspired. The photo above is a snippet from her blog... just to show an example of something I used to do as a kid... make poster sized collages from magazine clippings.

Maybe it is time to revisit that side. I love how she uses an "inspiration board" to put all of her ideas together in one place. While I may not be a designer, I do need inspiration!

What to you do for an extra spark of creativity?

Brunch ~ A Special Midweek Treat

Earlier this week Bebe and I were invited to brunch given by our friend Joyce over at the Quilted Nest.

She had the table set so lovely (until I removed some plates n things and replaced it with Bebe's melamin plate and PB&J!)

There was peach pudding waiting for us too. We had elegant water goblets, we could choose from two kinds of hot lattes ...

Homemade pancakes and eggg/cheese/sausage quiches!!!! Then on top of the pancakes a special peach syrup with cinnamon. It was scrumptious, let me tell you.

For dessert... coffee cake and / or ginger bread. Homemade. Loved it!

Not many of us (me included) take the time to get out the good china, the special serving pieces or to make homemade sweets. It was really really nice to be served and pampered for the morning and to get together with a few of the gals from our antique mall where we all know each other. Bebe had a blast, too!

We decided Joyce could open up her own bed and breakfast. For now though I sure won't mind being invited again! Thank you for inspiring us too!

Vintage Christmas Ornaments

Like a little squirrel getting ready for winter... I'm stocking up on inventory for the holiday shopping season.... just finished listing and I'm excited about finding more VINTAGE over the next few weeks! Ho Ho Ho!

These little red ornaments are from my own personal stash. I tend to decorate with pinks and pastels so I've decided to pass these on. Each one is uniquely different!

Sweet little chirping birdies on a wire... wrap around your tree branch for some fun.

Shelf elves! Perch one on your mantle this year for a little whimsy.

Yummy in pink with glitter and pearly sheen!

The really old pieces are hard to find. I have a grouping of four available.

A tree full of these reminds me of the Nutcracker... a sugar plum fairy tree!

It is amazing they survive the years because they are so delicate.

Just listed last night... plus more! Old pointe shoes, sapphire earrings, sterling G Clef earrings, Victorian die cuts and sentiments, 3D postcards PLUS the FRENCH prints I was hinting about last week!

All in the Bella Rosa store.

Next post.... Dear Bebe and I were invited to brunch with Dear friends...